How you have fallen from Heaven, Morningstar
by RobinNightingale
Summary: Shortly after the battle with Gabriel, the Ente Isle family have begun to tentatively settle back into their old routine. But Heaven hasn't given up on Alas Ramus, and their brief period of peace is torn away when another angel appears...and Lucifer knows him all too well. STILL ONGOING I'm just really slow
1. Stay

"For evilness' sake, _would you be considerate enough to put your own dishes in the sink for once instead of leaving them on the table?!_ "

For what seemed to be the hundredth time in a row, the comment rang out in the Devil's Castle, temporarily ceasing all other conversation and drawing attention to the utterer. Ashiya, the blond Demon General-turned househusband, paid no mind to the several pairs of eyes trained on him, and instead continued to glower at the occupant on the receiving end of his pointing finger. The eyes followed his considerably long arm to said occupant, whose back was turned to Ashiya and seemed to be doing his absolute best to disregard him.

Upon seeing it was, yet again, Urushihara, they sighed and shook their heads, turning back to the table.

"Don't worry about it for now, Ashiya. We can take care of the dishes once everyone's done eating," Maou called, simultaneously trying to keep his grip on a squirming Alas Ramus. "Come on, Alas, open your mouth for daddy…"

He, Emi, and Suzuno were seated around the table for a midday lunch, having a pleasant chat before leaving to go to Asakusa for the Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival, as Maou had been planning for the past month. Somehow he'd convinced Ashiya that this was a good use of their money (helped by the large chunk he'd saved up over the past year) and though Ashiya was now more frugal than ever as a caution, even sacrificing his chance to go to the festival to save money, the Demon General was happy to let his king enjoy himself with his daughter. The daughter who was now adamantly avoiding the spoon of baby food Maou struggled to feed her, protesting loudly all the while.

"No, iss funny! Iss weird! Don' like color!"

"But I thought you _liked_ bright colors, Alas! Isn't this better than that mushy brown stuff you had to eat before?"

"Maou, she hasn't tried this version yet. Emi-dono and I just bought it today," Suzuno interjected.

"Oh. Well, Alas, I'm sure this stuff tastes _waaay_ better than the other stuff. Come on, just try a little bit!"

"Don' wanna, don' wanna, _don' wanna!_ "

Emi Yusa, who was sitting right next to the pair and had been massaging her temple for the past five minutes, finally gave a frustrated sigh and shot out a hand. "Here, shut up and give it to me."

"Huh? Oh, okay…" Maou meekly surrendered the spoon.

Emi examined the spoon's contents before cocking an eyebrow at the Demon King. "Hey, Maou, what was the name of the yellow jewel of the Tree of Life?"

"Which one? There were two."

"I don't know, just _pick one!_ "

"Okay, sorry! Ah, um…"

"Malchut," Suzuno offered helpfully.

"Thank you, Suzuno." Emi bent so that she looked her daughter straight in the eye and gave a big, entirely-too-cheerful grin. "Nee, Alas, remember your friend Malchut?"

A bright smile to match Emi's immediately covered Alas' face. "Uh-huh! Tha's muh fwend, Malkoo!"

"Well, Alas, don't you think Malchut would be sad if you didn't want to eat something just because it was his color?"

"Malchut was female," Maou whispered hurriedly.

"What? Oh, erm, I mean, her color?"

At her words, Alas Ramus' face fell from her pout, and she nodded to the floor. "Uh-huh," she mumbled quietly.

Emi grinned. "Well, then, let's make Malchut happy and give this a try. I'm sure she'd be extra happy if it turned out you liked it!"

Alas immediately brightened and nodded. "Okay!"

She opened her mouth, and Emi fed her the spoon, wiping away the excess that dribbled down her chin. Her eyes widened at the taste, and she held out her hands as she gulped it down. "More, more!" she pleaded.

"There you are, Maou, she'll probably be waking you up in the middle of the night for the stuff now," Emi sighed, handing over the spoon.

"Not that I approve of your methods, but that was pretty clever, Emi," Maou acknowledged, taking it from her and digging it into the baby bottle.

Suzuno let out a breath, then gave a rare smile. "Things have gotten back to normal surprisingly quickly, considering Gabriel was defeated only a few weeks ago."

"Yeah…it seems like a distant memory," Maou agreed. His grip tightened protectively around Alas Ramus as he spoke, apparently without him realizing it, for he suddenly jerked when his daughter squealed, "Daddy, too hard!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry! Sorry, Alas. Here, ready for another bite?"

Emi didn't speak, but secretly she shared the sentiment. It seemed they were all eager to forget the difficulties they had faced during that time—most of all, the agony of losing Alas Ramus. It had only been a short time since the little girl appeared in their lives, but already she had wriggled her way into a deep, special place in all of their hearts.

"Distant for _you,_ maybe. I still remember a moping Maou like it was yesterday, moaning and all depressed just because he lost his daughter. It was embarrassing."

All except one, it seemed. Urushihara's drawling voice cut through like a foghorn, shattering the mood.

"Lucifer! How dare you speak of Maou-sama's pain so rudely?! All of us were saddened when we believed Alas Ramus to be lost, but Maou-sama was especially torn! You ought to have more respect!"

"Ah, it's okay, really, Ashiya," Maou tried to interject, poorly so. He wasn't too keen on having one of his less dignifying moments brought up, by either of his generals, but his weak protests went unheard. To his relief, Emi came to his rescue, though perhaps not intentionally.

"Don't bother lecturing the likes of him, Ashiya," she spat. "A recluse like him, who doesn't bother getting close to anybody, could never understand what it's like to lose something precious."

"Unless you mean his computer," Ashiya snorted, and to his surprise, Emi laughed in response.

"I wish you would stop saying things like that," Urushihara muttered glumly. Though his back was resolutely facing the rest of them and hadn't moved, his head had sunk lower with each jab the others had thrown his way.

"You bring it on yourself with the things _you_ say," Emi countered, with no patience or sympathy for the fallen angel. "You ought to expect the reactions you get by now."

"Yes, perhaps if you actually bothered to help out now and then, we'd consider acting more favorably towards you." Ashiya, though the most suspicious of Ente Isla's Hero out of the three demons, seemed to be enjoying his newfound, albeit temporary alliance with her against Urushihara's _hikikomori_ nature.

"Not to mention if he changed his outfit every now and then," Emi added, catching on.

"Or maybe his hairstyle."

"Or got a job."

"Or a life."

"Or a—"

"Maouuuuu," Urushihara whined, his reddening face beneath the folds of his arms. "Make them stoooooop…"

"Oh, now look what you did, Alas, you spilled it all over your shirt! Now I've got to change you _again…_ "

Either the Demon King was deliberately ignoring him, or he genuinely missed Urushihara's begging. Either way, he was going to be of no help to the half-angel. Giving up, Urushihara simply hunched his shoulders and tried to absorb himself into the comforting hypnosis of the computer screen, his only friend. Maybe he'd search online for a pair of good headphones when he was alone…

"Hmph. Pathetic. You were never this easy to bully when you were a General," Ashiya said scathingly. He missed the odd look given to him by Suzuno.

"That's because nobody dared to say things like this when I was a General," Urushihara muttered under his breath.

"Urushihara, if what we're saying bothers you so much, why don't you just go crawl into the closet you've become so fond of?" Emi suggested, though from her tone it sounded far more like an insult.

Somehow, it didn't register as such for the fallen angel. "Ughh, that actually sounds like a good idea…" he mumbled. He closed his laptop and was slowly getting to his feet when Ashiya's nagging voice came again.

"Oh, no you don't! Not at least until you've put your dishes away and taken the trash out like I told you to! I've asked you three times now, and those bags are _still_ sitting in the corner!"

"Oh…right…I forgot, sorry…" Urushihara didn't sound the least bit apologetic, and gave a disinterested glance at the bags in question. He didn't move from his place.

Ashiya made an annoyed _tsk_ and returned to the dishes. "Honestly, it's all I can do to keep this place from falling apart. It's not like I sit around dawdling all day, you know! Not like _you_ do 24/7! In fact I haven't had a moment to myself during all the time I've been here! The Great Lord Satan knows I want to…And it'd be just a little easier if you didn't sit around all day, wasting away in front of that screen! Do you know you could go blind in two months if you spend every minute that close to a screen? Not that I'd care, it'd serve you right! But I'm certainly not going to be the one to take care of you if that happens, and you can _bet_ I won't be paying for any bills that come—"

"Ashiya, quiet."

Though the command was barely heard, it sliced through Ashiya's rant like a cleaver, and he immediately silenced. Slowly, nervously, he turned to look at his king, who was no longer smiling. Instead, his eyes seemed to be glowing, and his voice was slightly deeper than normal.

"Your lecturing is grating on my ears," Maou continued, even as the women around him tensed at his demeanor. "I say that is enough for today."

"…Y-yes, my lord. I apologize." Ashiya was quick to bow, deep and respectful. He resumed washing the dishes in silence, his face red with shame. Urushihara didn't say anything, but he, too, was marginally apprehensive as he opened his laptop again.

The glow faded from Maou's eyes, and he gave a bright, cheerful smile to the two women. "Sorry about that. What were we talking about?"

 _Such a 180 flip in attitude,_ Emi thought, shuddering, though whether it was from his previous mood or his sudden cheerfulness, she couldn't tell.

"Daddyyyyyy," Alas whimpered, tugging on his shirt. She'd gone very still at his outburst, but now that it was over, she appeared to deem it safe to say just how she'd felt. "Daddy, don't be angry. Daddy gets scary when he's angry!"

"Ah, I'm sorry, Alas! Here, is this better?" Maou gave a big, over-exaggerated grin, showing his teeth, which had, Emi suddenly noticed, four neat pointed canines.

Alas Ramus, unfazed, giggled and nodded. "Uh-huh!"

Suzuno gave an odd look to the Demon Lord. "Sadao-dono, I've been wondering about this for a while now, but the three of you seem to have been acting a little more… _demonic,_ lately."

"Really? I hadn't noticed anything…" Maou looked genuinely bewildered, despite his behavior only a moment ago.

"It's not that surprising. In a way, we _have_ been more demonic for the past couple of days." Urushihara's monotonous voice floated to the table yet again.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emi raised an eyebrow.

Urushihara didn't answer right away, instead going to type rapidly at his laptop. He pulled up a webpage, then scooted aside so the others could see. "Here. A really bad traffic accident happened a few days ago at that nearby highway. At least three cars were totaled, and a truck pulling a gas tanker exploded. Nobody's died, but at least five people were critically injured, and most of the highway's been sectioned off, which has been causing a lot of slow traffic lately. All that panic and frustration's been leaking everywhere since then, enough for us to regain a little bit of our magic. It's probably started to return us to our demon forms as well. A few more days and we might even be able to manifest our true forms."

"Since when do _you_ read the news?" Emi blurted out, not entirely intentionally. Regardless, Urushihara scowled at her.

"That actually explains a lot," Maou said thoughtfully. "I guess I _have_ been a little more commanding lately…And it explains why I was able to start up the fryer again when it broke down with no warning…"

"You used magic without realizing it?" Ashiya asked in disbelief. He shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if your mind's where it ought to be, Your Highness…"

The dishes done, he untied his apron and went to the refrigerator. "Who wants some ice cream?" he asked, opening the freezer. "I think there's still a little left…in the…"

He trailed off, and the pallor drained from his cheeks. It was soon replaced with a bluish-purple tinge that quickly darkened, so that the result was not unlike Urushihara's hair. His eyes bulged, and several strangled, wordless sounds clawed their way from his throat, before he finally ground out, " _U…RU…SHI…HA…RA…_ "

"Hmm?" Said fallen angel, who was by now quite used to his name being said in such a manner, didn't even bother to turn around.

" _Would you mind explaining to me…where exactly all of THIS came from?!_ "

'This', and the reason for Ashiya's dramatic change, were boxes and boxes of different flavors of ice cream and popsicles, all crammed together in the icebox. When Maou finally caught sight of them after Ashiya stepped aside, he let out a choked gasp; clearly he, too, had been unaware of so many desserts.

"You mean the ice cream?" Urushihara answered back, his apathetic tone unchanged. At Ashiya's response of 'yes', which sounded much closer to a cheese grater being dragged across the pavement, he gave a flippant wave of the hand. "Well, I finished all the ice cream we had not too long ago, so I figured that with it being so hot lately we needed more. I wanted to buy only the ice cream online, but they had only this variety package, so I got that instead. It was a bargain price, so I thought it was a good deal. By the way, could you hand me one? I'm practically melting over here."

The refrigerator door closed with a _SLAM_. Everyone else, with the exception of Urushihara, jumped, but neither he nor Ashiya paid any mind to the apprehensive audience the other four had suddenly become.

"And the price…" Ashiya hissed, his rage making it difficult to speak properly. "What was the price?"

"Ashiya," Maou said warningly. But it seemed the Demon General had given up on listening to his king; his demon's blood was boiling, and not even the Devil Lord's great authority could subdue such primal reactions.

Silence, then, "…Plus shipping and handling, about 6,200 yen."

Perhaps it was the lack of direct attention for the entirety of that conversation. Perhaps it was the insensitivity of Urushihara's comments. Perhaps his patience had finally reached the end of its streak, and on this especially sweltering afternoon, those cold numbers drew the last straw. But whatever the reason, something seemed to snap within Ashiya. His features darkened, and his voice rasped forth like it was uttered from the depths of Hell itself.

" _That's it…_ " he breathed, looking for all the world like his usual demon form. "That's _it!_ That was the last of our free money! You've actually caused us to go in _debt_ , for the first time since we've arrived in this forsaken world! We won't be able to buy any more food until Maou-sama's next two paychecks! Worthless angel! Those popsicles better be loaded with nutrition, because that's all you'll be able to eat in the next month!"

"Ashiya, please, stop yelling!" Suzuno said in a hushed tone. She cast a worried glance at Alas Ramus, whose face was starting to scrunch up into a wail, and Maou, whose expression was growing more serious.

Urushihara didn't respond for what seemed like a full minute. Then, in a bored tone, he replied "Sure, whatever. At least it'll taste better than your cooking."

"Urushihara!" Emi exclaimed. Though she was used to Urushihara's blatant disregard for courtesy, the last comment had sounded far more insulting than was typical of the shut-in angel.

Ashiya drew himself up to his full towering height, his face a twisted mask of disgust. Emi was suddenly reminded of how the demons in Ente Isla used to appear when looking down upon humans.

"Even for a demon, I never imagined you might be this despicable," Ashiya said venomously. "With an attitude like that, it's no wonder you were kicked out of Heaven! If I were God, the only reason I might seriously consider letting you back in would be so that I could cast you right back out again! Or better yet, tell that fellow angel of yours, Michael, to strike you in the spot that would teach you some _respect!_ "

 _Crunch!_

"ALCIEL!"

Ashiya fell silent once more, but this time he physically shrank back, fearful, when his master suddenly stood, fists balled and fangs bared in a snarl. The Demon King didn't transform beyond that, but that made his image no less daunting.

Alas Ramus fled to her mother, too frightened to make much noise, while Emi silently gathered her magic in one hand, ready to summon Better Half if need be. In the corner of her eye, she could see Suzuno subtly reaching for her hairpin, but not yet withdrawing it. So far it seemed the Demon King had everything under control, and while that would normally mean her sword would be drawn right away, this time she was happy to allow Maou to take care of the situation. She would only wield her weapon if Ashiya decided to turn this into a fight. Hopefully, with the Demon General's unnaturally sincere sense of loyalty, that wouldn't be the case. She didn't want to have to break anything, and she hated to have to bring Alas Ramus into play

These were the reasons she would have given if asked why she stayed her hand so readily. In truth, a part of her was held frozen in terrible awe to see Maou in a position of such authority and power. This, then, was the true might of the Demon King she had been born to defeat.

"Alciel," Maou repeated, quieter but no less intimidating, "enough. I will not tolerate this pettiness any further. You've stepped beyond proving your point, and you're scaring Alas Ramus. That I cannot excuse so easily. I demand you cease this behavior."

Ashiya, who had sunk to one knee and was bowing his head low, stammered from beneath his hair, "F-forgive me, my lord. I agree that I was out of line. Please, exact your punishment upon me."

" _Do you think you're in a position to make requests_?" Maou hissed, and Ashiya flinched.

"N-no, my lord."

"Indeed." Maou stepped forward, until he was no more than half a foot away.

Ashiya began to tremble, for the Devil King's rage, though rare, was notorious, and his punishments severe. He had been the brunt of his lord's rage only once, when a campaign in the East had gone horribly awry and he was forced to report his colossal failure, of a strategy which had taken months to plan and even more to exact, to Satan himself. His punishment, after suffering a quick but brutal beating that cost no effort from the king himself, was to then venture into the human armies alone and retrieve a vital aspect of that campaign; an advanced weapon, which had been lost in the attack. Alciel had barely managed to escape with his life, and from then on devoted himself to ensuring absolute perfection in every move he made, in penance for his mistakes.

Now he was to be dealt judgement once more, and though his insides burned with the thought of once again failing his master, he accepted it without complaint. He deserved every amount of pain he was going to receive, no more, no less.

"I want you to get out."

The sentence was simple, quiet, and so unexpected it almost didn't register right away. When Ashiya realized what Maou had said, however, shock surged through him, and he dared to raise his head. "What? But, my lord, I—!"

One glare from Maou was enough to silence him once more. In the same stony tone, Maou continued, "Don't whine, this isn't banishment. I want you to leave, and reflect upon what has transpired here. Your overwhelming capacity for guilt and self-blame is enough to punish you ten times over. I don't need to add to that."

This was certainly a far cry from what Ashiya had been expecting. Maou had not laid so much as a finger upon him (though his contemptuous words were no easy blow) and though it was definitely true his own guilty conscience would make up for the beating quite easily, he had not expected his king to be so perceptive of it.

But he didn't dwell on this, and instead gave one last bow. "I shall leave immediately, my lord."

"I'm not finished, Alciel."

Cold, icy dread poured sluggishly through his system, and he waited with bated breath for the King's next words.

"That being said, you are to go out and spend money on something." He held up a hand to silence Ashiya once again. "Though your frugality has saved us from the brink of bankruptcy, lately you have been far too obsessive with it. Not once have I seen you do something for yourself, and it's affecting all of us as well as you. Tonight is proof of that. Therefore I order you to go out and do something which costs money. I don't care what it is, as long as it is something fun. When you have calmed yourself to the point that you can speak in a manner more befitting a Demon General, I will consider forgiving you."

Ashiya trembled, and protesting tears threatened to spring from his eyes. But he could not disobey, and he merely whispered, "At…At once, my lord."

He stood, untied his apron, and picked up his wallet from the counter. As he was putting on his shoes, Maou stopped him once more.

"Say, Ashiya…" He turned back to see his king once again in entirely human form, a wide, easy smile showing his teeth. When their eyes met, Maou winked. "Think of this as time off. Go…relax, watch a movie or something, eh?"

Ashiya nearly retorted that they didn't have the money for such pointless entertainment, but he stopped himself. "I will…find something, my lord," he said instead, giving one last respectful bow before stepping out. Soon his footsteps could be heard traversing down the metal staircase outside.

Maou heaved a big sigh. Suddenly he seemed deflated now that he was no longer so threatening, and both Emi and Suzuno let out their breaths. Alas Ramus ran to her father and clamped herself around his leg.

"Daddy, Daddy, don't be mad!" she cried, her pudgy face scrunched up in a wail. "Daddy's scary when he's mad! Please don't be mad at Aseeya, Daddy! Please don't send Aseeya away foweva, Daddy!"

"Oh, he won't be gone forever, Alas," Maou said gently, reaching down and picking her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. "He's just getting a time-out, is all. He'll be back by the time we get back from the festival, and then we can all sit down and play together again. Okay?"

Alas Ramus sniffed and nodded into his neck. Maou chuckled softly and set her down again. "Now, go ask mommy to help you get cleaned up, then we can all head out as soon as you're ready."

"Wha—? Maou, why me?!"

"Okay! Mommy, Mommy, clean up time!"

"Y-yeah, clean up." Emi sent a murderous look at Maou, unseen by Alas, as she allowed herself to be led to the bathroom, taking out Alas' kimono from her bag before she got to her feet. Suzuno gave a small smile, then stood.

"I'll go back to my room to freshen up and change as well," she said. "Thank you for the lunch. I'll be back in about ten minutes." She bowed and shuffled out the door, closing it softly behind her.

Maou waved, then took a deep breath and glanced at who was likely going to be the most difficult one to deal with.

Urushihara hadn't spoken a word the entire time, nor had he moved a single muscle from his position. That is, except for his hand, still clamped around the crushed remains of his computer mouse.

 _Strong for a wiry kid,_ Maou remarked to himself, allowing a brief flash of humor. _Looks like someone got back some powers after all._

He stood there in silence for a few seconds, wondering how to start, when Urushihara unexpectedly spoke instead.

"You sound like God."

" _Excuse me?_ " Maou squawked indignantly, without thinking. Then, catching himself, he cleared his throat and said, "I-I mean, really?"

Urushihara unwrapped his hand from his mouse, shaking off bits of plastic from his fingertips. Maou winced when a few were peeled from the skin, showing deep red welts and even a couple of oozing cuts.

"Don't worry, I'll just buy another one online," Urushihara said, when he noticed Maou's look, and the Devil King had to suppress a laugh at his audacity. The fallen angel wiped his fingers along his shirt, leaving faint red smudges against the white. "What I meant was, that's how God sounded whenever he punished one of the angels."

"How often do angels get punished?" Maou was genuinely curious, as he had always heard angels were typically the epitome of good behavior, never deviating from the rules and always the first to deal divine justice.

"More than most people think. After my fall, they were dropping right and left out of Heaven. Either I sparked something rebellious or the rules just got too tight, I don't know. No matter what it was, though, God wasn't lenient when it came to dealing punishment. Believe me, I was the first to know."

Maou's expression sobered, and he murmured, "Are you upset at all? I mean…with what Alciel said?"

It was no exaggeration that Ashiya's lectures against Urushihara were a daily, almost regular occurrence. But somehow, during all that time, Ashiya had never brought up, much less jabbed at, Urushihara's former status as an angel. It was well known Lucifer had spent a good number of decades trying to find ways back into Heaven. No matter how unhappy Lucifer might have been with his position, Heaven was his home. To be banished from one's birthplace was tragedy enough. One could only imagine the pain of losing Paradise forever.

Thus Maou was surprised when Urushihara merely shrugged and replied, "I gave up on trying returning to Heaven a while ago. I left in the first place because I was bored, remember? It's been ten thousand years. I got over it."

This was incredibly mature of Urushihara to say. He was without a doubt more tense than usual. Maou could tell that much. Perhaps it was their time together fighting as demons, but Maou could sense that Ashiya's comments had affected him, even marginally.

But he could also sense that no amount of prying would do any good. In fact, if anything they might cause a measure of harm. So Maou simply smiled, and nodded. "Okay. That's good."

At that moment, Emi and Alas Ramus chose to come out of the bathroom, Alas having been changed into a lovely white kimono with yellow chrysanthemums gorgeously blossoming all about, and Emi in her own deep red kimono with cranes flying gracefully. She was wringing dry Alas' dress. "I managed to get all the spots out," she said, draping the cloth over her arm. "Is there some place I can hang this?"

"Oh, yeah, right on the clothesline over the balcony."

"Daddy, Daddy, what hat should I wear?!"

"Hmm? Oh, well, let's take a look…"

Emi looked for the clothesline in question, then edged her way around Urushihara, who refused to budge even as the Hero leaned over him, struggling to pin up the dress outside the window while trying not to fall on top of the purple-haired NEET at the same time.

"Ugh, would it _kill_ you to help or at least move over a little?" she grunted frustratedly. Then she suddenly blanched, and looked down at Urushihara worriedly. "Uh…I mean…"

"You already said what you meant," Urushihara stated, no hint of malice in his words that were brutally honest nevertheless. Before she could give a retort, however, he scooted over just enough so that she could put her feet closer to the windowsill. Emi looked at him strangely, but either Urushihara ignored her or didn't notice, because he was soon typing away at his laptop like usual. She turned back slowly to the clothesline, and successfully managed to pin up the dress.

A knock came at the door. "Sadao-dono? Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah, just about, Suzuno!" Maou called back, re-adjusting a straw hat on his daughter's head. It sported a lovely blue flower, as well as a ribbon that flowed back and forth in the air whenever Alas shook her head.

"There. A lovely lady all ready to go to the park," he said proudly. Alas giggled, and did a twirl.

He looked up. "We ready to head out?" he asked Emi.

"I think so."

"All right. Okay, Alas! Do you want to hold Mommy's hand or Daddy's…" he trailed off when he realized Alas had disappeared. "Alas Ramus?"

"You mad, Loosifa?" He whipped around behind him when he heard her voice, finding her looking imploringly at none other than Urushihara.

"Is Loosifa mad?" she asked again. Her hands fidgeted behind her back, and her face held one of those genuinely concerned expressions only little children are capable of.

"Not really. Nothing to be mad at," Urushihara replied, not looking from his screen.

This didn't serve to reassure Alas. Instead, her face pinched, and she looked as if she were about to cry. Recognizing the signs, Maou immediately rushed forward, but it was too late—Alas butted her head into Urushihara's shoulder, gathering the material of his shirt in her tiny fists.

Urushihara jumped at the sudden contact, and for the first time that day seemed to show actual signs of emotion. Emotion which included shock, apprehension, and awkward reluctance. Out of the three demons, he had handled Alas' crying spells the worst, preferring to lock himself in the closet where her wails were the most muffled. He wasn't sure he'd be able to contain himself if he had to be right next to her while she screamed her lungs out…

"Loosifa not bad," Alas whispered.

Urushihara raised his eyebrows. Maou did too, after he'd closed his mouth from shock. Emi, however, was quick to move forward.

"Here, Alas, don't touch him, you might catch some of his NEET—." She feel silent when Maou held her back and put up a hand that begged _wait._

"Geb'rel bad. Geb'rel's a liar. Other angels are liars. Loosifa's not a liar. God should kick all of them out, not you."

Somewhere, in all of his antisocial reluctance, Urushihara was touched. Truly he was. He hadn't been lying when he said he'd given up on Heaven a long time ago. Nor had he really been all that bothered, rationally speaking, when he'd heard Ashiya's spiteful comments. But somehow, the toddler's infantile words struck a note deep within him, in the tiniest bit that still sang a melancholy tune when it remembered the smell of home.

However, being the socially inept _hikikomori_ that he was, he could muster up no further gratitude than an awkward smile and an "Um…th-thanks, Alas…" as he tentatively gave her a pat on the arm. Even that was a record milestone, and Maou had to shake himself from staring dumbly before reaching down to scoop up Alas Ramus once again.

"All right, Alas, let's leave him alone. If we don't leave soon, we'll miss the train. You said you wanted to see the fireworks, right? Well, if we hurry, we can get a good seat."

"We'll see them wherever we sit," Emi said, and Maou rolled his eyes, but didn't respond.

Alas still seemed upset, but she nodded and hugged her father around his neck. Maou smiled, then glanced back at Urushihara. "We probably won't be back until late tonight, so you'll get the place to yourself for a while. I don't know when Ashiya will be back, but knowing him, he might stay out until tomorrow trying to prove himself to me. If he gets back before we do, just put up with him until we get back."

"Yeah, yeah, okay." Urushihara waved an airy hand. "Get going already."

Maou raised an eyebrow, then went to put on his and Alas' shoes. Emi stood outside with Suzuno, and Maou and Alas joined them.

Urushihara sighed and stretched. _Finally,_ he thought. A whole quiet apartment all to himself…he had to enjoy these moments while he could. He got up and retrieved a fudgesicle from the freezer, then opened a tab to 'Jungle'. Instantly a pop-up appeared, and was just as quickly closed down by Urushihara, who by now was an expert when it came to dealing with such things.

 _Wonder if there's a sale on that shirt I saw earlier…_

Suddenly the door opened again. "Oh, and Urushihara?" Maou said.

"Hmm?"

"As a punishment for sending us into debt, you're suspended from buying anything until we get at least a 100,000 yen surplus."

 _…Damn._

* * *

It was nearly dusk when Urushihara heard the faint sounds of footsteps coming up the metal stairs. Hearing only one set, he groaned. "I was hoping he'd be out a little longer…"

He closed his laptop on a site labeled 'Warfield 2' and was about to sneak into the closet before Ashiya came in when there was a knock on the door.

He paused. _That's odd, Ashiya never knocks…_ Then he saw a small brass key lying on the countertop, and nearly groaned again. _Unless, of course, he forgets his key…_

The knock came again, more urgently. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you. Just hang on…" Urushihara moved to the counter first, intent on brandishing the key teasingly in front of Ashiya's face the moment he opened the door. Almost as much as he loved the Internet and his games, he could never pass up the chance to point out and make fun of every lapse in Ashiya's so-called perfection. Serves him right, the uptight little kiss-ass—

"Lucifer? Is that you?"

Urushihara froze, his hand inches away from the key. _I know that voice…_

The deep bass, definitely not Ashiya's usual baritone, came again. "I was told you could be found here, but I never truly believed…until now."

No. Not him. Not him, _DAMN IT ALL!_ Those _idiots_ in Heaven! He knew they were desperate, but to call on that _monster—!_

 _Not good,_ Urushihara thought, panicking. _Not good. I need to call the others!_

But before Urushihara could make a step towards his computer, there came a crunching noise as the door was suddenly taken off its hinges, and an angel walked through.

If Gabriel had been large, then this angel was massive. So tall that he had to duck in order to fit under the ceiling as he replaced the door to the wall, he was a hulking mass of muscle, so that even Gabriel would be a matchstick by comparison. Unlike all of the other angels seen by the troupe in the past, this one didn't wear a toga. He was clothed in dark, ragged skins that looked like they hadn't been changed in centuries, and his shockingly red hair fell in long strands all about his face.

Lucifer swallowed. His palms were sweating, and every instinct in his being was screaming at him to run, to put as much distance between himself and this creature as possible. If he were as he was when he was still a Demon General, he would have.

But instead he slid his hands into his pockets to hide his shaking hands, and relaxed his body into a slouch. Tossing his hair to the side with a flick of his head, he gave a welcoming grin, and tried not to let his teeth chatter.

"My, my. If it isn't the Forsaken himself…Asbeel."

* * *

 **RN:** Disclaimer. I'd normally put it on top, but I suppose I'm feeling a little lazier with this story.

Reviews. I'm hardly ever shameful about asking for them, they are a writer's direction and fuel. After all, what is a writer without readers? And how does she know she pleases her readers without them telling her (constructively, of course) how she's done?

Thank you very much for choosing this story. With enough (good) reception, I just may continue.


	2. Run

**RN:** Hello, readers. If you're reading this you've decided my story is good enough to continue. I'm flattered. Really I am. I didn't know what to expect with this story, but apparently you like it. So... :D.

One thing I feel I must inform you of before I continue. This story is non-canon in many parts, and is my own deviation into my plot starting from the intermission after the battle with Gabriel. If any characters do not match up to their design in the original novels, that is because I have not read that far yet #internethasfailedme.

...the # was kinda fun, actually. In any case, if the character deviations make it hard to read, please let me know. I'm quite familiar with the pains of balancing being appreciative of the blood, sweat and tears an author has put into her work, and the intense, OCD need for all the characters to stay canon. But hopefully I can paint a picture captivating enough that it won't matter how embellished the characters are, just that they work with the story.

Anyways, that's my little disclaimer for the day. Along with waiving my rights to claiming ownership with the series, of course. Stay awesome, and enjoy.

* * *

"So?" Lucifer continued. He took a moment to eye the door, somehow having been fit perfectly back into place. _Ashiya's going to have a fit when he finally finds out. And right after we fixed it, too…_ "Who broke you out, Asbeel? Last I heard you'd been thrown into Heaven's prisons to rot until Judgement Day. Don't tell me you busted out to get revenge or something like that."

Asbeel gave a long, heavy sigh. "You are as blunt as always," he said, his voice slow and somber. Though he was forced to hunch in the small room, he looked as if something were dragging him downwards. His eyes, crystal blue and streaked with grey, looked tired and worn. "These past few millennia have not dulled your tongue."

"Well, that's just part of my charm," Lucifer replied. He cast a distasteful eye over Asbeel's form. "You look terrible. I guess a few thousand years in the dungeons takes its toll even on angels. Still—" He drew the corner of his mouth up in a smirk, "—I'd say you deserve a few thousand more. I mean, defiling yourself with a _human…_ If I hadn't already fallen by the time I heard, I would have had you disgraced myself."

Those piercing blue eyes opened. "Enough, Lucifer." Asbeel cut across him with the force of a sledgehammer, and Lucifer immediately fell silent, to his disgust. "You know why I'm here."

Lucifer gave a light snort. "Yes, and if Heaven's resorting to a monster like you just to pick up one measly girl, they must be desperate enough to not care about showing their true colors."

Asbeel's features hardened a little, though his monotonous tone didn't waver. "I have been authorized to use any means I may in order to retrieve the fragment," he said, and Lucifer's chest tightened. Had Heaven lost its mind?! He guessed they would up the force on the next wave, but they should have known who they were dealing with…!

"Do not attempt to stop me; no matter what you do, you cannot defeat me and prevent me from taking the girl."

"Okay."

The giant blinked, confused. "What?"

"I said okay. I won't stop you, feel free to take her."

"And you will not oppose me?"

Lucifer shrugged. "Like you said, I can't defeat you. Besides, you'd be doing me a favor. She's annoying, a nuisance, and to be frank I've been just about ready to move out of this house if I have to keep listening to her screaming."

Asbeel's eyes narrowed. "How do I know this is not a trick?"

"Do you have any reason to believe otherwise?" Lucifer asked pointedly. "Even if it did turn out to be a lie, would that make any difference?"

The massive angel regarded him with an unreadable expression, but answered, "You speak truly. Then if you are so willing, reveal the girl and hand her to me. I promise no harm will befall either of you."

"She left a few hours ago, so I can't do that. But you can find her at the park, I guarantee it."

Asbeel seemed to ponder this, and Lucifer felt the sweat drop just a little down his neck. Finally he nodded. "Heaven will be pleased. Though I feel no comradery between us, Lucifer, this time you have my thanks for your cooperation."

"You have such a way with words," Lucifer muttered sarcastically.

The giant turned slowly to the newly-made hole in the wall. But before he could take a single step, energy suddenly crackled around him, and a piercing bolt of magic struck him hard at the nape of his neck. Asbeel's eyes widened as his body went rigid, then rolled up in his head and the behemoth keeled over in thunderous crash onto the floor.

Lucifer let at a long, slow breath, and gave a shaky smile. "Finally," he whispered.

He walked over and peered down disdainfully at the fallen behemoth. "Sorry, Asbeel," he said, in a voice that would have sounded bored if not for the slight tremor in it. "I forgot to tell you about her parents: The Great Demon King Satan and the Hero of the People, Emilia. As much as you make me nervous, I'm far more terrified of the thought of what they might do to me if they ever found out I willingly gave up their daughter to Heaven. I don't think I can take another of Maou's punches." He rubbed his check at the thought of it.

"Besides," he added quietly, disgust thick in his tone, "it's about time somebody got rid of you once and for all."

He stumbled, suddenly light-headed. It had taken nearly every drop of magic he had left in that one shot, and he had to make it count. It was a gamble saving enough energy so that he didn't pass out right then and there, but miraculously it seemed to have worked. Now if only the room would stop spinning…

"Where's that rope?" he muttered. "I know I left it somewhere…maybe the closet…"

It would certainly take a lot of explaining, not to mention a lecture from at least one other demon about the door, but that was all right; the threat was over. The others were safe, and he'd…

Lucifer let out a nervous giggle. _He'd done it._ He'd taken down the Beast himself. Asbeel, who before his imprisonment had split through an army of 1,000 demons alone, who was rumored to be so powerful even the original Great Demon Satan had been impressed, and considered him a worthy adversary. Asbeel, who had conspired with others to corrupt the minds of humans with knowledge they were not yet ready for, and who was currently passed out on his floor cold as the ice cream in his freezer.

It was his time in prison that weakened him, Lucifer reasoned. _Otherwise there's no way that would have worked that easily. Even now, I still can't believe that I—_

"So, the great demon Satan is here."

 _What?!_

Lucifer whirled around to see the massive angel stirring, slowly getting back to his feet. He tensed as Holy energy began to collect around Asbeel, generating a yellow glow that gave off a faint hum.

"I'd heard he'd disappeared during my time of imprisonment, but all this time I'd assumed he perished. Now you are telling me that he lives, and what's more, he's been hiding among the humans all this time."

"Well…actually…" Lucifer licked his lips, slowly backing away. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, he was spent on magic and he was up against possibly the most powerful angel of all time. Whom he had just shot in the back of the head.

"I really must thank you again," Asbeel continued, his voice becoming lost in the groaning of rising power. Magical circles began to appear all around him, all of them aimed at Lucifer. "Though I now have two tasks I must complete, you have given me a chance to once and for all finish the battle I started thousands of years past. Today, the world might finally be rid of the greatest evil to ever walk the Earth."

He finally turned around, a ball of energy ready in his hand to fire at the purple-haired teen, but he was met with only an empty room. Surprised, all signs of magic died down, the ball sputtering out with a pathetic whimper.

"Where…?"

A pained grunt came from outside, and Asbeel looked at the window. Five seconds ago, it had been closed. Now a gentle summer breeze gently blew the curtains aside, and the sounds of cicadas could be heard clearly. Beyond the balcony, a shadowed figure dashed beyond the gate and disappeared down the street.

Asbeel frowned. "So, you have chosen death," he murmured sadly.

Great black wings, matted and hanging in patches, slowly lifted in the cramped space. Stepping carefully out to the balcony, Asbeel rose into the air, feathers showering beneath him. A few of them caught on a tiny, blue and white striped dress hanging right next to him, still wet from its washing.

"Do not think you can escape my sight," he whispered, and disappeared, the sound of wings flapping fading into the night.

* * *

 _Damn it, why don't I walk more often!_

Lucifer cursed his weakness as he ran, ran as fast as he could, somewhere, anywhere. His arm ached from where he had banged it against a branch when he jumped down, but it was lost in the burning of his legs and the growing stitch in his side. It had only been a short while, but already his breathing was ragged and labored, sweat from the humidity was plastering his shirt to his back, and if his body weren't shaking from the spent magical energy already, now it was threatening to collapse, if only it weren't for the merciless orders for it to run, run faster, run until he was certain he was in a spot where he could be safe for the time being, and think of a way to keep himself alive for just a little longer.

He had to get to a place with people. Lots and lots of people. The only problem was the streets were just _so damn empty_ for whatever inconceivable reason. Every corner he turned he saw the same picture; bare, except for a few who were taking an evening stroll. Those he did pass he barely noticed, though he heard several gasps and cries of surprise as he dashed by. He didn't blame them; he must have looked like a maniac, tearing down the sidewalks like the Devil was on his heels.

Well, as close as Heaven came to, anyways.

 _Don't people have parties to go to?!_ He thought desperately. If only he could reach a crowd, find someplace with enough negative energy so that he might gain power to at least stand his ground…then maybe, just maybe, he might come out of this alive.

The highway! Traffic was still bad in that area, and during rush hour people would be especially stressed. With any luck, he'd get there while it was still thick…

He stopped at a corner, barely supporting himself up with one hand against a light pole. His throat ached each time he drew in breath, and his chest felt as though it were filled with lead. Swallowing, Lucifer listened for the sounds of traffic. It didn't seem too far away…if he could just get his legs _moving_ again…

Taking a deep breath, he sprinted off.

Only a few minutes later, a giant man landed atop the very same light pole, eyes as blue as the summer sky scanning the streets below. No one saw him as they passed underneath, but the gaze of the Watcher missed nothing. Sharper than any hawk, it narrowed when a flash of purple caught its eye, and focused on its prey. The predator began to descend, but stopped himself.

"I know what you plan to do," he said quietly. "I admit I do not enjoy a one-sided battle. But it will not work, Lucifer. None can defeat me save God himself."

* * *

Up on the highway, a tow truck was hooking up to a steel platform, upon which lay a dented gasoline tanker. Two workers finished tightening the straps holding the container to the platform while they waved for the third driving the tow truck to continue backing up.

The remainder of the terrible accident had already been cleared save for the tanker and the hundreds of scattered bits of plastic and burnt metal lost on the pavement below. But the tanker had fallen from the truck across all three lanes of the highway, and as a result, all traffic had been redirected to the frontage roads. Though a detour further up the highway managed to clear a good chunk of the congestion, cars still tended to pile up in the lower level lanes while work crews labored to clear the highway as quickly as possible. This evening, the traffic was especially bad, and though the heat had lessened considerably, the air was filled with the smell of sweat and gasoline, and the sounds of honking and angry shouts.

Lucifer soaked it all in from where he crouched, hidden, in a nearby alley. The negativity coursed over him felt like a warm salve, soothing his shaking limbs and sore muscles. He felt a spark of his magic return, and he inched closer.

"C'mon," he muttered, wiping away the perspiration that dripped from his forehead. "Hurry up, _hurry up_ …"

His energy was building up, but not nearly as fast as he'd hoped. Perhaps human frustration just wasn't strong enough, but he hoped he might at least be able to fly by this point.

Lucifer cursed. Human _fear,_ on the other hand, would have recharged him in no time flat. But as tempting as it was, Maou had forbidden him from doing anything that might cause harm to the humans he had grown so fond of. Damn his king's foolish _sentimentality…_

"Oi, Yoshida, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

A nearby shout broke him from his thoughts, and he looked up at the highway. His returning magic had granted him sharper senses, and though the sounds of car horns were now blasting in his ear, he could also pick out the words of the workers above. One of the workers strapping down the tanker was picking his way hurriedly to the other side of the platform, where he promptly slapped something from his co-worker's hand.

"OW, _Saito,_ what'd the hell you do that for?!"

"You idiot! I told you about smoking while you work! You can't light a cigarette here, there's gasoline everywhere!"

"Who're you calling an idiot? I'm not stupid, I'm not anywhere near the leak! Besides, gasoline's probably all evaporated anyways."

" _Outside_ , moron! There's still a whole puddle inside the wreckage, look! You just stepped in some! You had your lighter out, and you just stepped in some gasoline. You really are just a whole new level of stupid, aren't you? I'm telling the guys when we get back, they'll love to hear this."

"That's water, genius! I poured some on my head earlier to cool off. Besides, they drained all the gas from this tank anyways."

"And how do you know they drained all of it? You can't take that chance! What happens if there's still some left, and you drop your cigarette or something, huh? I'm not going to go to your wife and be the one to say her husband's an idiot who burned his own face off."

An idea suddenly popped into Lucifer's mind…A desperate, crazy idea, after which Maou would definitely kill him. But what was he, if not desperate? Besides, maybe, considering the circumstances, Maou would be willing to overlook him, just this once…

After all, it wouldn't matter _that_ much. He was about to be killed one way or the other.

"All right, all right, if it'll get you off my back, I'll close it. There, see?" The disgruntled worker made a show of putting away his lighter, and the man who lectured him gave a satisfied nod and went back to the other side. As soon as he did, however, his co-worker immediately ducked and snuck the lighter out again, secretly lighting his cigarette and taking a puff, then straightening when his partner shouted something again.

"Look, it's out, okay? Look, I'm putting away the lighter, and I'm putting out the cigarette. Geez, man can't have a second to smoke even if he needs to—"

 _BOOM!_

Something exploded right next to where the cigarette was dropped. It was small, like a firecracker, but the man shrieked and jumped away; at the same time, his co-worker sprinted away from the tankard, yelling at the driver to get out, who didn't bother to open the door but instead shoved himself through the window and crawled to his feet as quickly as he could.

" _See?!_ I said so, didn't I? You and your smoking, you said you'd quit last week!"

"Hey, shut up, all right? I didn't think anything would be left there after two days!"

"Damn it, I'm radioing this in, this thing isn't safe to move yet…"

"Wait, are you kidding? Our boss'll have our heads if this takes any longer than it's supposed to!"

"We won't _have_ a head to give him if we keep this—!"

Anything further was lost in a _KA-BOOM!_ as a massive explosion suddenly engulfed the tanker in flame, and all three threw themselves to the ground, their arms flung over their heads. The fire reached the tow truck, and as the workers began to tentatively peek upwards, a final explosion from the truck's own gas tank sent the vehicle skyrocketing, and all three workers fleeing for their lives.

Lucifer winced. He hadn't meant to actually cause _that_ big of a detonation…

But it worked. Below, people were screaming and honking in utter pandemonium, and many were abandoning their cars in favor of getting away as quickly as they could. Some stood transfixed by the awful, impressive sight of black smoke spiraling away from the remains, followed soon by the growing fire which soon spread along both the truck and the tanker, consuming them in a wall of orange and white. Others fled in whatever means possible, running away from the traffic or, refusing to leave their cars, mounting the curb in effort to cut past the build-up.

A tidal wave of negative energy suddenly slammed into him, and he bathed in it, soaking in every drop. An exhilarated laugh escaped him as he felt magic surge through his veins, and black wings suddenly unfurled from his shoulders. He flapped once, and he shot through the air, soaring above the chaos.

He'd nearly forgotten how wonderful it felt—all of his exhaustion gone, his bruises already healing themselves. And his wings…he hadn't realized how much he'd missed them until he was gliding along the currents. A part of him marveled why Ashiya and Maou would willingly wait so long to regain this feeling, then throw it all away as soon as they did.

A shriek, louder than the rest, broke through his bliss, and he looked down to see a man and woman lying on the ground, having flung themselves aside to avoid a burning hunk of metal. As they lied there in shock, the truck that it had fallen from, having landed on the edge of the highway, tipped back and forth dangerously, then finally fell forward, straight towards the couple.

They noticed it too late, but as they screamed and cringed, the truck suddenly slowed, then stopped inches away. It bobbed there a moment before gently floating besides them and dropping to the ground with a crash, safely out of the way of anybody.

Lucifer exhaled. That had been heavier than expected…After over a year of no magic, he was sorely out of practice. But at least he'd managed to save the couple.

 _Not let any humans die,_ he immediately corrected himself firmly. His demonic self would have slapped him for protecting them in the first place. He didn't need anyone to think he was going soft as well. It was logical, he told himself: if any humans died, forget Asbeel…Maou would punch him so hard he'd fly twice around the world before slowing down.

The small, apprehensive shudder going down his spine at the thought helped distract him from the slip-up, and he turned his attention down to the couple. They hadn't gotten up to run, instead opting to stare at him, both opened mouthed. It took him a moment to realize that he was still floating in the air, black wings outstretched, illuminated by the city night lights and in full view of both of them.

 _Crap._ The last thing he needed was publicity, and something reminded him with an icy feeling in the gut that he was still a wanted fugitive. Nearby, some others who had yet to escape were also starting to stop and stare, and one or two were pulling out their cellphones.

He had only one option to contain this, before his face was suddenly plastered all over Facepage and Chitter. _Haven't had much experience with barriers, but…_ He snapped his fingers.

Instantly everyone in the nearby vicinity adopted a strangely sleepy look, and one by one they collapsed to the ground. The city for a mile all around turned a gray, monochrome color, and the flames still flickering on the bridge slowed in their movement, then stilled.

Lucifer grunted as exhaustion washed over his body, and he drifted slowly until he was only a few feet off the ground. That had drained him of a _huge_ chunk of power. Still a great deal remained, but he hadn't expected the barrier to take so much, and he wasn't sure if his reserves were enough to repair the damage done in the explosion as well as erase everyone's minds of the incident. He humphed, rising in the air with another, straining flap of his wings. Maybe if he begged, he could ask Maou to do the fixing and mind-erasing.

"You bewilder me, Lucifer."

Lucifer shot around. Damn it, he'd been so caught up in regaining his energy he'd forgotten the reason for it in the first place.

Asbeel floated not a hundred feet from him, looking about the scene with a measure of amazement in his stony features. "Considering your recent demonic history, I thought I might find you causing some sort of destruction, perhaps to gain power, as is the way with all cowardly demons."

Lucifer gritted his teeth, but listened as Asbeel continued, "I did _not,_ however, expect to see you saving the lives of humans. Perhaps a part of you is still angel, and cares for God's children as do the rest of us."

The angel fell silent, eyebrows raised, when Lucifer started cackling, doubling over in the air and bringing his knees to his chest.

"I…I don't need…a _rapist_ lecturing me about loving humans," Lucifer chuckled, grinning wickedly. "Besides, don't bother giving me that crap about the other angels caring. We both know Heaven doesn't give a damn about what happens to them, as long as they worship God and his clerics. Do you even _know_ what's going to happen to the girl if you hand her over to them? Or," he added, a mocking gleam in his eye, "maybe you _do_ know, and you're more than ready to jump in with them when they steal her power. After all, this wouldn't be the first female you've violated."

Something blurred in front of him, and he suddenly shot backwards as Asbeel slugged him across the face. He flew through three buildings before crashing a crater into the fourth, and lay there, groaning. Briefly it registered that he had left his barrier, but had no time to think about it as Asbeel appeared at the mouth of the hole, energy building at his fist. Several beams of energy shot at him, but Lucifer barely managed to avoid them, shooting past Asbeel out of the hole. He fired bolts in return, far stronger than the ones that had sliced clean through Maou's human body, but watched in dismay as they merely rebounded off the angel's skin, leaving it unmarked.

 _BOOM._

Lucifer flinched as a gigantic crackle exploded in the sky, followed by a burst of blinding red light. He dodged to the side, thinking that perhaps he had narrowly escaped a retaliatory attack by Asbeel, but when his ears stopped ringing and he could see more clearly, he saw the giant had not moved.

Another _BOOM,_ farther away, startled his attention once more, and he realized the explosions were fireworks, lighting up the sky in an array of color. The reason the explosion had been so loud was that they were practically on the same level in the sky.

Asbeel turned slowly. His icy blue eyes were narrowed in rage, and Lucifer actually felt a tremor of fear at his look. Clenching his fists, Lucifer glared in return, and with a yell, he threw himself at the monster.

They exchanged a fierce volley of hits, Asbeel blocking every one. Their fight took them all about the sky, their wings whirling around them. Lucifer wished he could have even a second's breather, but it was impossible; every hit kept Asbeel's hands busy, and at this proximity, he knew it would take the ancient angel only one more hit to kill him. As they fought, their blows seemed to mirror each firework in the sky, so that their battle seemed a cacophony of deadly light.

Suddenly Asbeel closed his hand around Lucifer's fist, and the fallen angel jerked to a stop, horrified to find he could not move away. Summoning a surge of energy to his other hand, he threw a powerful punch to Asbeel's face, one that created a shockwave strong enough to blow the glass out of buildings half a mile away.

Asbeel floated there with his face cracked to the side, Lucifer's knuckles still buried in his skin. Shocked, Lucifer slowly drew away his throbbing hand, and Asbeel turned his head to look at him directly. A dribble of blood ran down his lip, but beyond that he seemed unfazed. A tremor of despair flickered through him. This…this _creature_ was…

He cried out as he was jerked forward, and a fist was slammed into his stomach. Lucifer's eyes widened as he heard his ribs crack, and his vision flashed black and red. A pained choke left his throat along with a spurt of blood, and Asbeel let him hang, still holding him by the wrist, as he coughed and wheezed for breath.

His wheezing turned into a sputter as Asbeel seized him by the throat, pulling him upwards so that his face was inches away from Lucifer's.

"Understand, Lucifer," the behemoth hissed, and Lucifer could only gurgle pitifully in reply. "I _loved_ Abigail. She was a woman worthy of respect and adoration, and I gave her both with all of my heart. Never once did I do wrong by her. You say I defiled myself, rather I defiled _her_ with my unworthy presence. Do not lecture me about something a filthy demon like _you_ could never understand."

"Y-Yeah?" Lucifer rasped. "Well maybe…this demon…knows more than…than you think."

"I doubt that," Asbeel sneered. "What could you possibly teach me?"

" _This._ " The air suddenly light up brighter than the sun, and Asbeel threw up his hands to shield his eyes. When it faded, the fallen angel had gone.

Asbeel scanned the city, but Lucifer was nowhere to be seen. He ground his teeth, then let out an enraged yell that was drowned out only by the crack of gunpowder, signalling the glorious finale. Underneath the fanfare, his fury traveled far and wide, and promised great agony on his escaped prey.

When the echoes had faded away, Asbeel swore under his breath. "I was told to merely incapacitate you, Lucifer, to keep you out of the way of our plan, but you have made it _personal,_ " he growled. "The next time I see you, you _will_ die."

* * *

 **RN:** Hey, you. Yeah, you, the person who took the time to type in The Devil is a Part-Timer Fanfiction, scroll downwards, click on this link, and read my story. The person who thought, 'good chapter' and was about to just click the back button to go find something else, leaving my poor plot in the Fanfiction wilderness with little reviews to defend itself with. You can take just a little more time to type in a review, right? It honestly won't take much of your time, and it does a world of good. Seriously. You have no idea what one review can do. It's like...it's like...the ambrosia of writing. All writers look for that one good review. Maybe yours could be it! Could be. Just sayin' (I honestly don't like that phrase, I think it's maddeningly disregarding of feelings, but meh)


	3. Relax

_Elsewhere…_

Ashiya looked up sharply. Was he mistaken, or was that…?

"Oi, where are you looking?! I said 1,000 yen!"

Ashiya turned back scornfully to the vendor, pointing at the salmon in front of him. "For this? Easily 700 _at the most!_ I can get cheaper prices than that at the convenience store down the street!"

"1,000's always been the proper price! Where do you think I catch these, in a pool?"

" _All_ salmon come from the open waters! If the supermarket can give better prices for their fish, I'll just go over to them without a problem!"

"All right, all right, look, I'll lower it to 500."

"400."

"Whaaaaat?! Now, look, here, you're just trying to cheat me out of my money!"

But Ashiya was only half listening. Something very strong had hit his senses, giving him an ill feeling, and it wasn't the durian*.

And was it him, or had someone just put up a barrier somewhere?

He looked back, about to give the vendor his money, when he saw the fish was gone.

"Wha—? Hey! Where did my fish go?"

"You took too long! You weren't paying attention, so I gave it to someone else, and _they_ were willing to pay 700!" The vendor looked quite pleased with himself, and crossed his arms. He gestured to the rest of his produce. "You want to pick something else?"

Ashiya sighed. _And the day was going so well…_

* * *

 _Earlier..._

Ashiya had to admit, his lord's punishments were unusual, but they certainly did the job.

After leaving the house, he soon cursed his decision to keep his usual sweater in such hellish heat. Soon his collar was soaked, and the material stuck to his back uncomfortably. His wallet carried no money, a pitiful sight to see, and he forced himself to visit the bank, where he knew they still had an emergency stash in their savings. He was quite proud of this stash, it having climbed up to about 200,000 yen in the past year. It had been eaten away at by Urushihara's several shopping disasters, but Maou's hard work had returned it to its former glory.

Thus when he stepped up to the counter, he felt his heart crack just a little, and a few tears trickled down his cheeks as he attempted to ask the polite, yet slightly alarmed teller for a 5,000 yen withdrawal.

 _Perhaps just this will be fine. Maou-sama never specified the amount I had to spend, after all._

He had to admit, as he stifled his sniffling while leaving, it did feel good to have the money in his pocket. Ignoring the odd looks given to him by people entering the bank, he began to walk down the sidewalk, squinting in the glare of the sun. He wandered for nearly a block before he remembered he hadn't made a single plan of where to go. Sighing despondently, he wiped the perspiration from his forehead and made his way downtown. Perhaps there'd be something for him to buy there.

The heat drove him to the more shaded areas, and upon reaching the busier streets, he chanced upon seeing a café on the corner. He shuffled gladly into the welcoming shade of the veranda and peered at the menu in the window.

 _Iced coffee…_ He mused, his dry mouth salivating in agreement. _Only 150 yen…I suppose I could do with something cool…_

He paid for the drink and wandered over to one of the outside tables. When he first sat down, it was as if he were at a war meeting with the other generals; his back remained stiff, his expression serious. A couple of people walking out glanced at him then looked away, quickening their pace a little.

Puzzled by their reaction, Ashiya's gaze landed on a man not too far away from him. The young adult was the quintessence of comfort, sitting slouched with his legs splayed to either side, both arms draped languidly on the chair's arms.

Frowning slightly, Ashiya tried mimicking his position. It was a little challenging at first, as the smooth surface of the chair sent him sliding downwards when he tried to lean back, but he soon managed to capture a decent imitation.

To his surprise, a pleasant feeling of relaxation settled in his body, and he wriggled a little to fully realize it before letting out a soft sigh. A part of him blushed at the sound, yet was excited to recognize it as a noise of contentment.

 _Refreshing._ That was the proper description for this feeling. It was very refreshing indeed to be sitting at this table, sipping his beverage and watching the people walk by. The weekend wasn't as busy as the work days, but still a great number of humans traversed the sidewalk, wearing simple summer dresses or light T-shirts.

 _This…This is what we've always wanted,_ he reflected, looking down at his half-drunken cup. _To be able to enjoy a nice treat outside on a pleasant day, without the fear of being hunted, shunned, or banished…How ironic it is that I must become human in order to gain it. Perhaps it is a luxury only they can enjoy._

He took another long draught, draining the last dregs from his coffee. Though his body protested being moved from its position, he stood and tossed the cup into the recycling bin.

Something colorful caught his eye, and he looked to see a movie theater right across the street. He suddenly recalled an advertisement for a film that he'd taken interest in, and a part of him leapt at the chance to actually see it.

Upon crossing the street, he was happy to find that the movie was still showing, and what's more, would have a show in just twenty minutes.

"One ticket for _Omoide no Maani,_ " he requested.

"995, please."

 _995…That's more than I would like, but at least I get the discount—_ Ashiya felt his heart sink when he remembered it was not yet the first of the month. Now dejected, he was just about ready to decline and go someplace else, when Maou's face suddenly floated in his mind's eye, looking at him in disapproval.

He shook himself. "Very well, my lord," he said aloud, not seeing the receptionist look at him strangely. "I will watch that movie!"

* * *

Two hours later, he was exiting the theater, once again in tears. He'd never known humans could be so…so… _sophisticated!_ He'd always taken them to be hypocritical, selfish brutes who only looked out for themselves and shunned any who were different, but this film had opened him to all kinds of possibilities.

 _With their ability to bond to one another like that, it is little wonder the Demonic Army was defeated so quickly,_ he contemplated, then immediately stamped on the thought. _Then again, the humans in Ente Isla were much more different than those in Tokyo. Besides, they had a half-angel as a hero. One can hardly call that fair._

But perhaps humans, in their own way, were worthy of the victory they'd sustained.

His stomach chose that moment to rumble, and several images of food quickly slid into mind.

 _I won't try going to a restaurant,_ he decided. _No matter what Maou has told me, that's going too far._

But before he could think anything else, the strong smell of food hit his nose, and his mouth immediately watered, his stomach giving a loud growl in agreement.

What _was_ that? It was food, but hardly restaurant material. In fact, some of it didn't even smell like actual meals, just…ingredients. He knew the smell of raw fish when it hit him. But despite the kaleidoscope of scents in the air, it was undoubtedly delicious.

Over at the end of the block, people were turning the corner sharply to disappear down the street, as if all in a hurry to get to the same place. At the same time, more people were pouring out, all carrying bags of… _something._ And as he neared, he noticed there seemed to be an interesting wave of human negativity coming from that direction…

Curiosity peaked, he rounded the corner. Like a window being opened, as soon as he did, the sounds of people's voices suddenly amplified, and Ashiya was met with absolute chaos.

Booths lined the street as far down as he could see, which wasn't very far considering the massive flood of people flowing back and forth between the stalls. Every single one of the booths was overflowing with food— _proper_ food. Right next to him sat a vendor's stack of large peaches, rosy-skinned, fit to burst out of their peels and wafting a mouth-watering fragrance to mingle with the other smells of produce. To the vendor's right, a woman sat behind a huge wooden wheelbarrow full of giant, square watermelons, and to Ashiya's left, a tantalizingly fat fish was being laid out on piles of ice. Further booths were nearly hidden in the throngs of people shuffling past one another while trying not to lose hold of their plastic bags, which were often full to overflowing. Clamoring voices filled the air, with some customers actually brandishing bills in the air. The owners of each stall were perfectly at ease despite the din, and handled each customer with practiced speed and efficiency.

Ashiya felt a spike of excitement. _So this is a farmer's market!_ he thought eagerly. He'd heard about them before, once or twice from Chiho, but never thought to finally find himself at one. Just as he'd heard, the prices were unbelievably lower than could be found at any supermarket, and the produce seemed a hundred times better.

It was also considerably more chaotic. Because of the more limited options and smaller spacing, yet significant size of the crowd, people were squashed against each other so that movement was severely limited. No one seemed to pay mind to this, however, being more concerned with out-competing the other in getting to the produce first. It was little wonder Ashiya could sense an abundance of human stress. Most of them likely could manage only half an hour in this environment.

Ashiya was in his element.

It helped that the human negativity washed away his discomfort of the heat and his hunger. But here he could prove just what it meant to be Ente Isla's most resourceful Demon General. With only 3,855 yen left, he was determined to make the most of it. Rolling up his sleeves, he threw himself into the fray.

* * *

When the fireworks started, three hours had passed, and no one had been expecting them.

Apparently a group of youths had decided to celebrate the festival in their own way, in the very streets of Tokyo. Makeshift crackers rolled along the streets and sparklers flashed energetically in their hands, but their masterpieces took to the sky. They weren't as high as normal fireworks, and in an enclosed space of buildings they would have been quite dangerous. As luck would have it the fireworks occurred over an open square.

Namely, the farmer's market.

Ashiya was in the middle of a match of tug-of-war with a little old lady over a large tuna fish when the first firework went off, and her grip was surprisingly strong. She clung to the tail end, veined fingers clamped around the scales like vices, while Ashiya dug his fingers into the gills and his heels into the ground. At the first explosion, the old lady jumped a foot in the air and sprang away, both hands up in shock. Ashiya, who was quite used to sudden loud noises out of the blue from his time in the war, was unfazed, and drew the fish close to him in triumph. Only then did he realize why the lady had been startled.

Some people were awed by the spectacle, as he was, and chose to turn and watch. But most screamed and began to flee the market, and with good reason; because the fireworks were so low, a few colored sparks were landing quite dangerously close, and many of the farmers began hastily packing their things away while the customers ran.

Something suddenly struck Ashiya's senses with a great force, making his head buzz as though a drill was vibrating his skull. He reeled backwards, shaking his head trying to clear it, when he froze, and looked up. He'd just felt a burst of unmistakable energy, coming from right above him. But with the chaos all around him, and the explosions overhead, it was difficult to determine just what-or who-it was coming from.

One thing was certain, however: he had to get home right away.

He would have stood there the entire night had not the owner of the fish stall shoved him, breaking him from his stupor, and shouted, "What the hell are you doing, just standing around?! Get out of here, get somewhere safe!"

"Yes," Ashiya said breathily, blindly groping for the four grocery bags at his feet. "Um, I don't suppose you could bother to give me some paper for the fish?"

* * *

The bags were heavy and cut into his fingers, and the day's heat had only marginally lifted as night fell. But Ashiya hardly felt any of it as he ran, fueled by the panic from the crowd. Just his luck, it hadn't been enough to let him transform or fly, or else he'd have been back to his apartment by now.

He nearly cried out in relief when he saw the familiar rooftop of the Devil's Mansion, thankfully still intact. A number of terrible scenarios had plagued him during the entire run back, filled with images of a smoking, ruined house, bloodied friends, Urushihara's voice telling him he'd somehow discovered the secret stash of cash and spent it all on some useless game consol that didn't even work properly...

He shook these thoughts away at the top of the steps, where he finally set the bags on the floor. He dug his hand into his pocket for his key…then dug in his other one. Then his back pockets. Then he patted all up and down himself, and finally let out a frustrated sigh. _Of all nights…_

"Oi, Urushihara, open up!" he said loudly, knocking on the door. "I forgot my key, open the door!"

When there was no answer, dread began to trickle back through his stomach. He tried to convince himself that perhaps Urushihara was simply not paying attention. It usually took three or four tries to get him to do anything...

"Urushihara!" Ashiya tried to keep his voice light and casual as he knocked again. There was no need to panic, no need to panic..."I know you love ignoring me, but I've got food that needs to be put away here!"

When there was still nothing, the worried ache in his gut intensified. He shoved it away forcefully and attempted at a grin. "Look, if you don't open up, you won't get the chocolate I got for you. It's a full bar too, with caramel in the middle!"

Still nothing.

Finally his smile dropped, and he gave in to a measure of his panic. He pounded on the door. "Urushihara, we don't have time for—!" He fell silent when the door, along with part of the wall, fell over at his touch with a crash.

He stood stock still in shock, not even moving to cough at the plume of dust brought up by the impact. His left eye began to twitch. _After we just fixed it, too…_

But rationality overcame his petty anger, and before he could dissolve into another rant, a tiny voice of logic nagged him with a question.

Who broke it?

Certainly not him. It seemed the door had been broken away, and then replaced, somehow managing to stand on its own without a single crack visible. And though Urushihara had been the first person his mind jumped to, he was forced to admit even the apartment-ridden angel had no reason-or strength, for that matter-to break the door like that. And it was far too unlikely that Maou and the others had returned already. Which meant…

Concern began to flow through Ashiya's limbs, smothering away his irritation, and he stepped carefully onto the door, forgetting the groceries entirely. He groped for the light switch, only to realize it had fallen with the door. He cursed. "Oi, Urushihara, are you in here?"

It was horribly drafty in the room, humid, and just a little chilly despite the heat outside. He noticed finally that the window was open, which explained the draftiness. But why…?

A slow, ghostly wind gently fluttered the curtains. But though the breeze was soft, it only served to worsen the growing feeling of dread weighing in Ashiya's chest.

 _Crack._

Ashiya looked down. He'd accidentally stepped on the computer, which for some reason was lying open on the floor. Come to think about it, much of the table's electronics were lying about scattered on the mats, as if someone had knocked them over. Had Urushihara fallen or something? He wouldn't put it past the angel to have suddenly grown numb in the legs again, but he was usually so careful around his precious electronics…

Something told him the answer wasn't just a case of weak legs.

That's when he finally noticed the figure in the corner of his eye, a person standing against the wall in the shadows. They simply stood there, watching him, as if waiting for the moment to strike.

Swallowing, he silently summoned a bout of energy towards his hands. _Whoever you are, you made a mistake in staying,_ he thought furiously.

When he was ready, he whipped around, a glowing green ball of energy held before him. "Who's there?" he demanded, the light illuminating the figure.

His breath hitched in his throat.

The energy died from his hands.

And he was left staring once again into darkness, wishing to Hell and back the image he'd just seen could be wiped from his memory as easily as it had from his vision.

* * *

*A large spiky fruit, known for it's particularly strong odor.

 **RN:** Donate one review now to RobinNightingale&Co., and you'll receive another chapter, free of charge!


	4. Help

He saw. Right away, he saw what had happened to him. What had been _done_ to him.

Urushihara had been left against the wall, clearly unconscious. His head drooped downwards and his arms hung limp at his sides. His chest moved faintly, the only sign he was still alive.

Somehow his wings were still out, stretched as full as they could along the wall, which was cramped for Urushihara's impressive wingspan. They, too, were displayed flat against the wood, as if held there by something.

He looked battered, bruised, and frankly so beaten it was a wonder he was still in one piece. Ashiya winced at the sound of his breathing, rattling wetly in the darkness like an undead corpse. For someone still alive, it sounded like one near death regardless.

 _Don't think that,_ Ashiya scolded himself desperately. He'd seen Urushihara take a sonic punch to the face that sent a shockwave the size of Hokkaido, and leave with nothing but a swollen cheek. He'd heard he'd taken Emilia's sword point blank in the chest, and somehow survived. Hell, he'd taken _Michael's_ sword in the chest and lived!

So surely, whatever had been done to him, he'd be all right.

Right?

That's when he realized he'd missed something. Something nagging him from the back of his mind, a terrible dark secret that he had to know, but was certain he'd regret finding out.

When he'd seen Urushihara, in that brief flash of light, the angel had been eye-to-eye level with him, even with his head hanging low.

When they stood back to back, Ashiya was nearly a head taller than him. Which meant...the angel was floating.

No...not floating.

Ashiya brought the ball of energy back, trembling as much as he was. He held it up to Urushihara, then up to his wings.

A low, soft moan of horror broke out of him.

Because there were knives. Two knives, one for each wing, buried to the hilt in his feathers.

Ashiya's insides twisted, and for a moment he thought he might vomit.

He'd had been _crucified_.

Ashiya gave a strangled whisper. " _U…Urushihara…_ "

Urushihara stirred, seemingly rousing at his name, and a soft groan left his lips. The sound snapped Ashiya from his paralysis. Suddenly the Demon General was at the half-angel's side, one arm snaking around his waist to hoist him up and relieve the strain on his wings. The other hand patted his cheek gently. "Urushihara. Oi, Urushihara, hang in there! Wake up, talk to me, _come on!_ "

Urushihara's limp head lolled drunkenly from side to side, and only the whites of his eyes showed when his eyelids struggled to open. But it was a response, and relief so strong it made his legs shake poured through Ashiya at it. He scanned the room for something that might support the angel, so that he wouldn't have to dangle like some piece of meat, and his eyes fell on the table in the middle. Unfortunately, it was just out of reach, and he would have to release Urushihara in order to get it.

"Sorry," Ashiya whispered. "Sorry. This is going to hurt, but it'll just be a moment. Stay with me, don't fade out, I'll be right back…"

He slowly lowered Urushihara to his previous position, wincing when the angel hissed at the action, then lunged for the table, ignoring when the leg smacked him in the shin as he dragged it across the room. He lifted Urushihara upwards once again, used his foot to bring the table underneath him, and carefully set the half-angel upon it.

"There, just stand there. Can you stand? Come on, just lean or something, you need to take the pressure off your wings…" Ashiya's voice cracked and trailed off when he glanced at the knives again, a disgusting reminder of the reason for the elaborate performance, like a sick acrobatic trick.

He would have to pull them out. That much was certain. He wasn't concerned with that—he'd pulled aplenty of swords and knives from bodies in times past, both from enemies and fallen comrades. He was practiced when it came to removing knives.

But he'd never had to pull a knife from a _friend_ before. To have that fear and concern, that heavy, painful worry that his friend was seriously wounded, perhaps even dying. To question if removing the knives would honestly do more harm than good, because he'd seen the spurt of blood that often followed from pulling a blade from a not-quite-dead body.

To care.

It left him frozen, panicked, unsure of what to do first, whether to stay with Urushihara ( _because he's not breathing right, those breaths are too shallow, if I leave him to hang one more time he might suffocate, or he might fade out without me there to keep him awake_ ) or to call Maou ( _I don't know what to do, I honestly don't know, Maou will know, he can help, I have to call him, I have to warn him_ ) or to take the blades out and finally set Urushihara down, like he'd been needing to do from the beginning ( _what if I damage his wings, what if he never flies again, what if the knife is too deep…_ )

( _What if it's too late..._ )

He was scared. He was genuinely, properly terrified, because for the first time he didn't know how to act. He had always been his lord Satan's right-hand General, his advisor, the one with an answer to every problem that arose. He knew. He always knew what to do.

Except now.

" _M…Muh…_ "

His thoughts were banished at that sound, and Ashiya looked down with wide eyes, turning Urushihara's face upwards to his own. "Urushihara? Urushi—Lucifer, can you hear me? Come on, Lucifer, wake up."

Urushihara's eyelids fluttered open. "Ashiya?" he murmured quietly. "Is that you…?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's me, I'm here." Ashiya nearly melted in relief at his words. He could feel tears threatening to spill over as he maneuvered himself to be directly in front of Urushihara. "Talk to me, Lucifer. How are you feeling?"

Urushihara grimaced and thumped his head against the wall. "That's a stupid question," he groaned.

"Sh-shut up, I'm trying to save you here!" Ashiya's words didn't sound nearly as angry with the lump in his throat shaking his words. He wiped both eyes on his sleeve. "I mean, can you feel anything?"

Lucifer blinked slowly, and his head kept nodding forward. "Everything aches…" he answered faintly.

"That's good, stay with me, that's good, that means you're awake enough you can still feel it." Ashiya's voice was steadier now, the panic clearing from his head to be replaced by cool, stern authority. "Can you stand? I'm going to move you up..."

Lucifer gave a great shuddering gasp, and Ashiya froze while he held his breath for a few agonizing seconds, his eyes scrunched up in pain.

"Hurts..." he breathed at last.

"What? What does?"

"My wings..."

The lump in Ashiya's throat intensified. Though Lucifer didn't seem fully conscious, he pawed blindly at his shoulder. His wings remained limp and unresponsive.

Gently Ashiya caught his hand and returned it downwards. He looked up once again at the blades. Swallowing, he pressed Urushihara against the wall.

"I'm sorry, Lucifer," he said quietly, "but I can't take the knives out just yet. I'm going to have to keep them in until—listen to me, listen to me..." for Urushihara had begun to flail his arms, grasping at Ashiya and tugging him closer, "—I'm going to have to keep them in until I can find something to stop the bleeding. They're going to start bleeding as soon as I take them out, and if it's not done right, you're going to lose a lot of blood. I might…I might do something wrong, and…y-you might never u-use your wings again." His voice cracked at the end.

But Urushihara didn't seem to hear the last part, and alarmingly began to chuckle. "Already lost a lot blood, won't make much difference _…_ " He pulled Ashiya's hand to his leg and set it upon his thigh.

"Wh…Uh, Lucifer, what are you—" Ashiya fell silent when, instead of simply fabric, he felt something wet and sticky. He drew his hand back sharply in disgust, but halted when the metallic scent of blood reached his nose. Slowly, his eyes shifted downwards.

He let out a choked gasp. Somehow his eyes had missed the grievous wound on Urushihara's leg, a deep gash that was still seeping blood. He was no doctor, but any soldier in the Demon Army knew the human leg carried a huge artery that, if cut deep enough, could drain the body of blood within minutes. There was no telling how long Lucifer had been hanging there, but if whoever had done this to him sliced through that artery, then…

"I have to…Oh, Satan…I have to find something…" Things were quickly falling apart by the second. Ashiya scanned the room frantically for _anything_ that might help, but before he could find something he was pulled back by Urushihara once again.

"No," Urushihara rasped. "Forget the leg. Knives first."

"But you've lost so much…That wound, it could—!"

"I'll heal," the fallen angel croaked. "And when the knives are gone…my wings will…de-materialize…"

"You can't take that chance," Ashiya urged, lifting Urushihara when he collapsed downwards once again. "At this rate, you'll—!"

" _Demon's Frost_ ," Urushihara hissed, suddenly finding strength to seize Ashiya's front and pull him close. "The knives…they're laced with Demon's Frost."

"... _What_?"

Ashiya stared, horrified, as Urushihara used him to claw his way back upright. Urushihara leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, breathing long and slow through his nose.

He'd heard of Demon's Frost—it was a type of metal found only on the central continent of Ente Isla. Weapons made from it were terrifying, for they could drain a being of energy with a mere touch of the blade. In rare cases, the metal would even poison the blood, leaving the victim to writhe in unadulterated agony for several nights before finally dying—though so few instances had been documented it was more rumor than fact.

What made it so much worse was that it was effective only against demons.

 _Who has done this to you?!_

Ashiya wanted to scream it until he got a name, then fly out that very second until he found them and tear them apart, slowly, until they'd suffered ten times over what Urushihara was going through. But he knew, with cruel reason, that there was no time for that.

His mouth, gone very dry, finally closed, and he gave a small nod. "Okay," he whispered. "Okay."

Taking a deep breath, he gathered the remains of his energy and floated upwards a few centimeters. The panic in the farmer's market had given him barely any energy, and he wouldn't be able to stay in the air for long. Already he could feel the strain of remaining airborne wearing on his body.

"I'm going to have to let you go for a little bit," he told Urushihara quietly. "Just a little bit, then I'll be right back. Can you stand on your own?"

"...I think so," Urushihara replied, his voice a little hoarse.

Ashiya bit his lip, then nodded. "Okay. I'm going to let go now."

He released his pressure on Urushihara, and moved away from the table. Miraculously, the angel remained upright, though his legs shook as though he were about to collapse any second.

Ashiya floated upwards to the left wing. As he wrapped his thin, pale fingers around the handle, a small part of him realized this had been the first time he'd ever seen Urushihara's wings up close. Though they were merely a shadow in the darkness, as he placed a palm against the wing he noted how soft his feathers felt. They were softer than he realized, like velvet on a curtain.

 _Focus,_ he growled at himself. His mind was wandering in its stress, and he was losing precious seconds. He affirmed his grip on the knife and looked down at Urushihara.

"Ready?" he asked. Marginally, Urushihara nodded, and forced himself to breathe slower.

"On my count," Ashiya whispered. "Three, two—"

He jerked the handle backwards. The knife slide out in one smooth, clean motion, though the grinding noise it made when sliding out of the wood sent a shiver up Ashiya's spine that made him want to cringe. Lucifer gave a sharp cry that cut off as he slumped forwards. Quickly Ashiya seized the wing and held it up, preventing it from falling. Urushihara swung back until he slammed into the wall again, and slid down a little, his face a tight mask of pain.

Breathing hard, Ashiya looked down at the blade. It was thankfully short, but heavier than he expected for its size. What's more, it was cold, as if it were made of ice. Even the handle was growing colder, and the longer he held it, the more he could feel his fingers growing numb...

Ashiya blinked as he grew suddenly tired. The blade slipped from his fingers as he began to drift downwards, and he lost his grip on the wing. Free of the wall, the wing dropped like a stone. The weight of it pulled Urushihara with it, and the angel began to fall.

The movement made Ashiya snap from his stupor, and he shot faster than lighting to catch him before he could hit the ground. But it didn't matter anyways; Urushihara's body jerked to a halt when his right wing pulled taut, and though the movement made enough noise to wake the neighbors on the other side of the street, Ashiya could have sworn he heard flesh rip.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Ashiya pushed Urushihara back up, repeating 'sorry' all the while. "I didn't mean...I just felt..."

His eyes slid back to the knife, which was lying almost innocently on the floor.

"...Felt dizzy," Ashiya finished. _So that is Demon's Frost,_ he thought, his stomach twisting harder. He'd heard of it before, but had never seen it nor felt its effects. The feeling of it had been far stronger than he'd expected. It was no wonder that many demons, himself included, had sought after weapons made from its material.

" _Hurry_..." Urushihara whispered. With his left wing down he could finally kneel, and Ashiya set him against the wall again, still on the table. He floated up once again, ignoring the ache setting into his body. It was beginning to feel like he was swimming through mud, but he brushed his weariness away and took hold of the other knife.

"Ready, and—"

Urushihara gave a grunt that turned into a whine, then sighed as the knife clattered on the floor. His eyes rolled up in his head, and he collapsed off the table to the ground.

" _Lucifer_!" Ashiya dropped to the floor hard, stumbling at the impact. He skidded his knees as he landed at Urushihara's side, then crawled gingerly over his wing to where his head lay.

Free of the blades at last, the wings began to melt away into a smoky light, until all that was left was Urushihara's thin, unmoving body. Ashiya gently turned him over until he was cradling the fallen angel in his lap. Now in the moonlight, the wound on his leg was thrown into sharp relief, and he realized it was much deeper than he previously assumed. When he peeled away a portion of the ripped cloth, he saw fresh blood, turned silver in the moonlight, still oozing from the gash.

Ashiya looked around. There was nothing within reach that could staunch the bleeding, and he'd all but drained the rest of his energy on flying, so levitating something was out of the question. With no other options he pressed his hand onto the wound. Urushihara's eyes flew open as he gasped in pain, and his hands knotted the material of Ashiya's sweater into his fists until they shook.

"Hold still," Ashiya murmured, as Urushihara whimpered. His tone, as cool as he'd ever spoken, greatly contrasted the tumultuous fear roiling beneath. "Relax. You'll be okay, you just need to hold on until Maou and the others get back. Just stay with me for a few more hours..."

The minutes ticked on in silence. Ashiya sat there feeling more helpless than he'd ever felt in his life. He couldn't leave, and risk Urushihara falling unconscious while he was away. He had to leave, because there was nothing more he could do whilst just sitting there.

Except talk.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. Though logic was still cool within his mind, his words were growing thicker. Wet, hot tears welled up and before he could stop them they were falling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry for always shouting at you, I'm sorry I thought you were worthless, I'm sorry I never showed you much appreciation until now. I'm sorry I was such a stuck-up idiot, I'm sorry I left and this happened, I'm sorry I-"

" _Ashiya_."

Ashiya immediately cut off and looked down at Urushihara, who was resting his head against Ashiya's shoulder. "Yeah?" he sniffed.

" _Stop apologizing_."

Ashiya couldn't help it. He cracked a grin and gave a wet chuckle. "Sorry," he said.

He wiped his cheeks on his other shoulder, then reaffirmed his grip on Urushihara's wound. His smile faded, to be replaced with a measure of rage. "Lucifer, who did this to you?" he finally asked, his voice a little stronger.

Urushihara muttered something incoherant, and his grip slackened. His eyes slid closed.

His breathing slowed.

"Lucifer?" Ashiya's chest tightened when the angel didn't respond. He shook him, his mouth numb. "Lucifer?"

One of his hands slid from Ashiya's sweater and fell across his stomach.

 _No..._

* * *

 _One hour earlier..._

Droplets of blood scattered across the sidewalk as Lucifer passed overhead. He flew low to hide himself among the buildings, but he had to stay high enough to avoid being seen, sticking to the empty alleyways and deserted streets. Darkness hid him nicely, and he flew fast enough that people think it was merely the wind ruffling their clothes, but he was close to the end of his rope. His vision kept blurring, causing him to almost run into a clothesline or two, and though the pain of his injuries was dulled in his exhaustion, his wings ached horribly. The minor panic of the humans from his battle with Asbeel was all that was keeping him in the air. He needed to reach the Castle soon, or else…

Finally he saw the neighborhood, and not too far away, the house. He didn't bother to land quietly as he drunkenly flapped through the air, somehow making it all the way to the balcony and crashing onto the wood. His only cushion was his wings as he folded them about himself, and he lay there, stunned, for several seconds, his breathing shallow and ragged as the pain in his chest suddenly grew sharper.

Finally he managed to crawl through the still-open window. Above him, the lone dress on the clothesline fluttered sadly in the breeze, as if to console the beaten demon. He fell into the room, his wing knocking over the speakers. Still clinging to consciousness, he groped for his computer and opened it.

"Taking too long," he muttered, coughing when his chest suddenly grew heavy. Something splattered across the screen, but he shakily smeared it away, bringing up Skype. It was taking far longer to make the call without the help of his mouse, and he let out a grunt of frustration as he clicked the wrong number, hurriedly closing it and searching for the right one. He wiped away the rest of his blood from his mouth and finally managed to pull up the call for Maou's cell phone, praying to whoever might still care about him that it would go through.

"Almost there, almost there, c'mon, pick up, _pick up,_ you stupid piece of—."

 _Creak._

Lucifer looked up sharply, narrowing his eyes at the darkened room. His wings hunched over him, ready to envelop him in a shield if need be. "Who's there?" he demanded, sounding less than impressive with his sore, dry throat.

Something shuffled along the wall.

Though his muscles screamed at him to remain still, he brought his tired magic circuits into action and began to summon an energy shot in his hand. "Show yourself, or I'll—!"

 _Thunk._

His words were cut off when something flung him backwards. The force of it jerked him until he slammed into the closet wall, and he nearly blacked out from the impact. Dazedly, he tried to lower his wing, which was sticking upwards uncomfortably, only to find that he couldn't. Slowly, he looked up... and nearly fainted again at the sight of the huge knife buried in his wing, just below the last joint.

"You look unwell, brother."

Lucifer turned his gaze to the room. A figure was emerging from the shadows, as if born from them. His soft, gentle tone mingled with the whispers of the breeze, so that it seemed the wind itself were talking. "I'm surprised you managed to survive at all. I knew you'd be hard to take down, but I didn't think you'd be able to escape from Asbeel. If I didn't despise you so much, I might even be proud of you."

A stick poked out and pressed a button on the computer, where the call to Maou was still going through. When the stick withdrew, the screen went blank, and Lucifer's heart sank. There went his last chance at any sort of rescue…

The figure at last stepped fully into the moonlight, and Lucifer could see his face. The man was young, barely older than Lucifer appeared, dressed in a simple brown jacket over a white cotton shirt and plain sandals. Behind him, large white wings were folded neatly at his shoulder blades. His dark, cropped hair stuck up about his forehead, hiding none of his sculpted features. He carried a wooden walking stick, but hardly seemed to need it, except perhaps to add to his appearance. He was skinnier than most men, and had almost a gentle look about him, emphasized by his soft brown eyes when he took off his sunglasses. This was contrasted by the crooked grin he wore, and the way his eyes glinted mockingly as they ran over Lucifer's wretched state, like a cat about to pounce.

"Raphael," Lucifer whispered.

The eyes didn't blink, but eyebrows raised. "Oh? You remember me?"

Despite himself, Lucifer managed a wan smile. "I made fun of you for nearly a millennium. You don't easily forget your favorite playthings."

"Is that what you thought of me?" Raphael stepped closer, twirling his stick lazily around his fingers. "Me, your elder brother, who cared for you when you were sick, and treated your wounds when you became injured?"

"You were poisoning me, and you know it," Lucifer shot back. "Angels don't get ill in Heaven. You made everyone else believe I was some sickly young fledgling who needed a personal caretaker wherever I went."

"Ah, well, when you're a doctor of medicine, you need _something_ to experiment with, don't you?" Raphael took hold of Lucifer's chin and raised it gently, turning it back and forth as if examining him. "Make sure all the poultices are safe to use and all. After all, what would it look like if Heaven started handing the humans untested, dangerous remedies? We are supposed to care for them, not wipe them out."

Lucifer jerked his head away, and Raphael dropped his hand.

"Didn't stop us in the war," Lucifer grinned wickedly. "Certainly didn't stop _you._ You didn't even care about the politics in Heaven. You were all too eager to get your test subjects, and in the chaos of war, who would pay attention? I was right to call you Dr. Batwing. You practically _invented_ the mad scientist."

Raphael gave a soft snort, and cast his eyes to the side distantly.

"Do you know, Lucifer…" he said softly, setting his stick to lean against the wall next to Lucifer. Slowly and methodically he reached into his jacket. "When you're a doctor, you learn a lot about how to make a person feel better. But you also learn the right spots to cause excruciating pain. For instance…"

His arm whipped out, faster than Lucifer could see, and then there was pain. Sharp, piercing agony that flashed over his entire body before it drew back to sit heavily in his left leg. Lucifer was left panting raggedly, his throat hoarse from a scream he didn't even remember giving.

Raphael witnessed it all without a change in expression, except perhaps a brief flash of ecstasy. He shifted his grip on the handle of his blade, which was currently embedded within Lucifer's left thigh, and leaned in close so that his mouth was next to Lucifer's ear.

"It is said," Raphael whispered, excitement making his voice tremble, "that Jacob once suffered from sciatica. It is a terrible condition where the sciatic nerve is disturbed by a malady. As the largest nerve in the body, it is only natural it might cause the worst pain. According to Jacob, it was most unbearable."

He leaned back, and in one sharp motion pulled out the knife. Lucifer gave a cry, and his leg buckled beneath him. He would have collapsed had it not been for the blade in his wing jerking him to a painful halt. He swayed, on the verge of unconsciousness. His leg wound began to pour blood, staining a long, red river down to the ground.

Carefully, like a lover's embrace, Raphael wrapped his arms around Lucifer's body and supported him back up. He let the fallen angel lean against him and brushed his sweaty, purple hair away from his forehead. "Not yet, not yet," he murmured. "I need you awake a little longer."

He flipped the knife in his hand and held it up close to Lucifer's face, waving it in front of his half-lidded eyes. Though stained red, the metal seemed iridescent underneath, and in the light seemed to flicker between silvery grey and a rainbow of colors, like oil on water.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Raphael asked conversationally. "Holy steel, of course. The only metal that can pierce archangels. Nothing you haven't seen before, there were countless weapons in the war against you, but this was crafted specially in the war. It's been tempered with Demon's Frost, the kind used against demons that we can't kill."

Lucifer inhaled sharply. At the sound, Raphael grinned and looked down at him.

"Yes, you know what that means, don't you?" he said softly.

Things were starting to make sense in his pain-hazed mind. It explained why he was so tired. Even with the grievous wounds, he should have been able to stand on his own at least, but now he could barely hold his eyelids up, let alone himself.

"The bonus part about it is, as long as it's in your wings, you can't dematerialize them." Raphael continued. He gently laid Lucifer back against the wall and looked at him directly. "The metal won't let you. It'll just sit in your flesh, draining your power, until you're spent entirely." He gave an excited chuckle. " _That_ can't be fun. I mean, since you are technically both angel and demon, that means you get the worst out of both sides. Ooh—." Raphael winced, then gave a playful grin.

Somehow, Lucifer had enough energy to glare up at him from under his hair, which was hanging all about his face. But he couldn't hold it for long, and soon his head had drooped downwards once again.

"Ah, ah, ah, not yet. I didn't say you could fall asleep yet." Raphael pushed him up by the shoulders and used the hilt of the knife to push up his chin. "I'm not quite finished with you."

"I already told...Asbeel where the...girl is," Lucifer breathed tiredly.

" _Did_ you, now?" Raphael raised an eyebrow. "Well, I must admit I didn't think it would be all that easy. And all this time I thought Asbeel was fighting you because you refused to say anything."

His eyes traced up and down Lucifer's form hungrily. "You know, I'm actually very glad you escaped. Despite how much I hate you, I _really_ couldn't pass up the chance to see you again. After you were all...grown up, I couldn't very well have our little, ah, _sessions_ anymore. You'd gotten too strong. But now..."

At that moment, there was the sound of wings flapping, and the great shadow of Asbeel landed at the balcony, bringing the room to darkness with the bulk of his form. Carefully he stepped through the window, practically pressing himself against the ledge to get his wings through.

"Raphael," he rumbled, when he'd stood upright.

Raphael closed his eyes and looked pained, as if something precious were being taken away from him. Then he smirked, and said, "Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear...or in this case, the angel."

He never turned his gaze away from Lucifer. "Did you get her?" he asked.

Asbeel didn't respond at first, observing the scene with an unreadable expression. "I thought we agreed I would be the one to deal with Lucifer," he finally said.

"Yes, we did. But then you screwed up and let him slip away, so I decided to step in and finish the job. This leaves you free to _go get the girl._ "

Asbeel's eyes narrowed. "I searched every inch of the park," he replied. "There was no sign of her or the Great Demon King Satan."

"Satan is here?" Raphael finally broke his gaze from Lucifer and whipped his head around to stare at Asbeel in shock. He turned back to Lucifer, ready to demand an explanation, but cut off at the sight of the red-stained grin struggling across Lucifer's mouth.

"You _moron..._ I never...specified which park...now _did I?_ " Lucifer's head made a thump when it hit the wall as he raised it, looking at Asbeel from under his eyelashes.

The knife came under his chin again- only this time point up. It pricked the underside of his chin, and it felt as though ice were seeping into his skin, so cold it burned. Shred by shred his energy was sucked into the metal.

"Then you'd best be specific, before I decide to get a little more specific about where I put this blade," Raphael growled.

If he had the energy, Lucifer would have rolled his eyes. At best, he could managed a pained look that said, _Really?_ Even Asbeel, behind Raphael, looked to the side and seemed to want to cover his face with one giant hand.

Raphael let out a short sigh. "Fine, I'm still working on my threats." He pushed the knife up a little, and Lucifer winced at the cold. "But I don't really need to have a fancy threat with this, now do I?"

Lucifer said nothing. After a short while Raphael gave a frustrated grunt and gestured to his partner. "Asbeel, lift him up."

Wordlessly the massive angel stomped over, and as Raphael moved aside, he closed one hand around Lucifer's throat. Effortlessly he slid Lucifer up the wall, until his head was only inches from the ceiling. Lucifer gasped-or tried to gasp-as his leg twinged, followed by his left wing, which was now relieved of the strain of holding up Lucifer's weight by the knife, beginning to throb intensely.

The fallen angel's eyes followed Raphael's movement as he took the joint of of his other wing and floated upwards, stretching the wing out until it was fully unfolded. It took a moment for his brain, befuddled by exhaustion and pain, to realize what Raphael intended to do, and he cried out just before Raphael could drive the blade into his other wing, "W-wait, _wait!_ "

The knife stopped just centimeters from his feathers.

Lucifer licked his lips. "A-all right. I'll tell you."

Ever so slightly, the knife point drifted away from his wing. Raphael tilted his head expectantly towards Lucifer, his eyes hard. This would be his final chance.

Lucifer took a deep, trembling breath. "They went to-"

Just then, the breeze blew, sending in the sound of dry leaves scraping along wood. The curtains lifted, and he could glimpse the outside. His eye caught a flash of color in the exiting moonlight, a silvery pattern of white and blue stripes.

More than his wounds, more than his fear, Lucifer's heart throbbed in regret, and his voice fell silent. At that moment something resolved within his will, hardening, defying. He met Raphael's demanding stare with a challenging one of his own, and a soft grin tugged at his lips.

"They went to your place and ransacked your drugs," Lucifer said softly, recalling the moment as if it were yesterday. "Right after they drank all your favorite wine."

Cold fury set in Raphael's features, but he didn't shout. Instead, he sighed, shrugged, and said, "If that's the way you want it."

 _Schlock!_

Lucifer screamed, long and hoarse, then slumped forward, panting raggedly. Raphael dropped his hand, leaving the knife, and floated back to the ground. "Let him go," he ordered harshly. "We're leaving."

"What of the others?" Asbeel asked. "Are we to pursue them as well?"

"They'll be back sometime anyways. We're just wasting time here." Raphael collected his walking stick from the wall.

Asbeel readily removed his hand from Lucifer's neck, and the fallen angel slid down the wall, stopping just short of the floor when his wings pulled taut where they had been pierced. A thin trail of blood soaked into the feathers and began to drip to the floor. By this time Lucifer had already blissfully fainted, his body hanging limp like a rag doll.

Raphael gave a snort of disgust. "And to think you were once the best of all of us."

Asbeel was already at the window, one foot out on the balcony. "Are you coming, Raphael?" he asked.

"In a moment," Raphael answered, lifting Lucifer's shirt to expose his pale, sickly-looking torso. The tip of his finger began to glow with energy. "I have a message to deliver to the Great King Satan."

* * *

 **RN:** If any of you are now in a murderous rage for my decision to write Lucifer in such a traumatizing situation and would like to complain, please place your comments in the review box below. It shall be noted and a comforting reply delivered to you within 24 hours. One thing I would like to know in particular: Was it overdone on the drama?

Thanks so much! You are all awesome, each and every single one of you, for keeping up with me thus far. Your comments have been greatly appreciated and wonderfully positive, which I take to be a sign that I'm doing _something_ right. They've kept me going, and even helped along the plotline a little. So keep them coming! You never know if you might change the direction of the story entirely :P.

~The name 'Batwing' was thought up in reference to the phrase 'bat-shit crazy'. Not very inventive, but I defend myself on the basis that Lucifer is not the most original person when it comes to thinking up things *cough cough B-list villain cough*

~Disclaimer: The before reference of bats does not in any way suggest condemnation of such beautiful and misunderstood animals. I think bats are fabulously intriguing products of nature and should never be destroyed based solely on social stereotyping that compare them to creations of evil. And if you think differently, _THEN YOU ARE EVIL AND A BAD PERSON AND SHOULD BE DESTROYED!_

:P That last statement, my friends, was a satirical example of blowing things out of proportion and childishly pointing fingers in a closed-minded manner. Are we all properly amused after this down-heartening chapter?

~If it wasn't obvious already, Lucifer was recalling a memory of something he did. So he's insulting Raphael by defying him and bringing up an unpleasant memory (pleasant for Lucifer, of course) at the same time.

~Last note: If any of you were hoping for an Ashiya/Urushihara pairing, then I must dismiss those notions right now and say there is going to be _no such thing_ in this story. If you want to see one, look somewhere else or write one yourself. I have nothing against pairings (though I tend to stay canon if I ever drift into romance) but focus on relationships has no place in this plotline. Ashiya's and Maou's actions for Urushihara were purely out of concern for their friend, panic, and stress at the situation. The closest relationship these three might have would be brotherly, and any hints at a pairing you might have assumed are your interpretation alone, nothing else. Thank you for your attention, and I apologize for any severe disappointment I might have caused.


	5. Care

"Maou-sama, please return quickly..."

It had been a little over an hour since Ashiya had come home. There had been a terrifying moment where it had seemed the black-winged demon had stopped breathing, but after a frantic examination Ashiya found Urushihara's chest moving, though only barely. This was followed by an even greater bout of anxiety, for he was not sure how much longer the half-angel could hold on like this.

The minutes dragged on like hours, and it felt as though the air was growing thicker with each breath. Ashiya had clamped his hand on the wound until it was surely stained permanently red, and by this time it seemed the bleeding might have stopped. But from the dark stains on the wall and on the floor, there was no telling how much Urushihara might have lost.

He didn't know when he started to pray. He wasn't even sure if demons ever prayed, or if he was perhaps the first of his kind to do so (if that was the case, he would be sincerely shameful after this was over) but after a time he found himself pleading under his breath for some turn of their fortune, for his king to hear the calls of his subjects and answer.

" _Please hurry home, my lord...please, please hurry..._ "

 _Tak. Tak. Tak._

"What's with all these bags...?" A voice said in surprise. "Urushihara? Ashiya?"

" _Maou-sama!_ " Ashiya could have sobbed with happiness at the sound of that voice. Miraculously, they had returned far earlier than planned. He didn't know how or why, but at that point he simply didn't care. If God weren't his enemy, Ashiya might have thanked him.

At the urgency in his tone, the footsteps on the staircase quickened, and wide-eyed Maou suddenly appeared like a savior at the doorway. "Ashiya? What—?"

His breath came up short at the sight which greeted him, and for a second he was paralyzed in shock. Then, seriousness melted into his features, and he strode wordlessly across the room until he was kneeling on Urushihara's other side.

"What happened?" Maou asked, his voice low.

"I just found him like this," Ashiya whispered. Now that his king was here, he could feel his level-headedness cracking away, allowing his suppressed anxiety to well up from underneath. "My lord, where are the others?"

"They're outside. I felt something was wrong and ordered them to stay back just in case." Maou's gaze dropped down to the fallen angel in his arms, and his stony look softened. "Urushihara?" he said softly.

No response.

"He fell unconscious just before you arrived, my lord," Ashiya told him. "His leg...He's lost much blood. I believe he was stabbed there."

"And you found him on the floor?"

"No, my lord. I found him..." Ashiya's voice closed up, and he swallowed several times before he could speak. "I...I had to let him down. H-he'd been pin...pinned to the wall by his w-wings, by those knives." He pointed to them.

Maou's eyes grew cold. For once, Ashiya felt no fear at the murderous waves his king was emitting. A part of him, however, was still quite relieved that he wasn't on the receiving end.

Maou followed his finger to the nearest blade, still lying where it had been dropped. After a moment, he extended a hand towards it, only to draw back when Ashiya shouted, " _NO!_ My lord, you mustn't!"

His king frowned at him questioningly.

"Demon's Frost," Ashiya explained through gritted teeth.

Maou's eyes widened marginally, then narrowed. But instead of suddenly lashing out, as Ashiya expected him to do, he sighed, and placed a hand on Urushihara's forehead, underneath his sweaty, purple bangs.

"My lord...?"

Shadowy tendrils began to leave the demon king's palm, soaking into Urushihara. Ashiya raised his hand from the wound when he felt something twitch. Before his eyes, the flesh knitted back together, sealing over into a scab, a scar, then nothing, leaving bloodstained, but perfectly smooth skin.

Maou pulled his hand away and sat back, breathing a little heavily. "Urushihara?" he asked again, somewhat winded.

The demon stirred. Amethyst eyes blinked open, and traveled about the room before focusing on Maou.

"Maou...?" For the first time since Ashiya could remember, Urushihara looked gladdened to see his king. He started to rise.

"When di- _GYAHHHHH!_ "

Urushihara suddenly convulsed, lurching upwards as a shocked Ashiya struggled to keep a hold of him. He screamed and gasped as he flipped between curling over himself and slamming himself backwards so that his chest thrust into the open air. His hands clawed at his shirt and his throat, leaving red scratches on the skin, and both Ashiya and Maou took hold of an arm each and wrestled them away.

"What's happening?" Ashiya demanded. "My lord? What's happening to him?"

"I don't know." Maou's voice, though hushed, sounded just as panicked, his composure falling away for the first time.

"Maou?" A quiet, scared voice came from the hallway.

Both demons looked up to see Emi, Suzuno, and Chiho clustered in the doorway. Emi was at the front of them, her gaze growing more intense as it centered on Urushihara.

"Get Chiho out of here, now!" Maou ordered, raising his voice over Urushihara's yells.

"Maou? What's happening to Urushihara...?" Chiho's scared voice was cut off by Suzuno ushering her out the door.

"No time for questions, Chiho-dono, we must give them space..."

Suzuno led Chiho into her apartment. Seeing the bag of abandoned groceries, and noticing the rancid smell of fish going bad, she decided to grab those as well. Without bothering to sort through the contents she shoved all the bags into the refrigerator and shut the door to the apartment, though Urushihara's muffled cries could still be heard from behind the wall, along with the concerned voice of Emi, who had remained behind.

"Suzuno, please, we have to go back in there, we have to help..." Though her words were strong, Chiho's voice cracked, and she began to lower herself down to the floor.

Immediately Suzuno was at her side, helping her down. "The best way we can help is to remain out of their way," Suzuno replied gently. "Urushihara is in capable hands now."

At that moment the door opened again, and Emi appeared, this time with Alas Ramus. She placed the child in Chiho's arms. "Take care of her while I go back and help the others," she said gruffly.

"No, mama, I wanna be with you!" Alas Ramus wailed.

"Alas, you _stay here!_ " Emi snapped. She dashed out of the door again and Suzuno closed it behind her.

Urushihara chose that moment to give a blood-curdling scream, one that set the edges of their nerves on fire. Chiho winced, and did everything she could not to remove her arms from Alas and wrap them around her own head. If she did so, she wasn't sure she'd be able to maintain what little composure she had left, and she had to stay strong in front of Alas.

Suzuno spoke a word and did a motion with her hand Chiho didn't recognize. Suddenly everything went silent.

"What...What did you do?" Chiho asked, her voice trembling.

"I placed a spell around the room to block out all noise from the outside," Suzuno replied quietly, sounding a little shaken. "To protect Alas."

It didn't need to be said the spell was for the sake of the two women as well.

Alas began crying and buried her face into Chiho's shoulder, and the elder girl clutched the child a little closer to herself.

"There, there, it's all right, Alas," she soothed, though tears of her own threatened to spill over.

"Mommy told me to get out," Alas whimpered. "I wanted to help, but she got really mad and told me to leave."

She curled her tiny fist around Chiho's shirt. " _Mommy hates me_!" she sobbed.

"Oh, Alas...Emi doesn't hate you. She told you to leave because she loves you. Urushihara-kun's in a scary time, and she didn't want you to get scared." Saying this aloud seemed to reassure Chiho just as much as it did Alus, and both of their tears began to subside.

Alas didn't respond, but she seemed to listen, and scrubbed at her eyes.

Chiho looked up at Suzuno, who had watched the entire exchange with warm eyes. "Suzuno, are you sure it's a good idea to block all the sound? What if something goes wrong, and they need our help?! We won't be able to hear them call..."

"It's all right," Suzuno said. She gave an encouraging smile. "The others will know what to do. But if it will reassure you, I will wait in the hall for anything that happen, and if you need anything, I will hear you; the spell only works one-way."

Chiho nodded, and fresh tears spilled down her chin. Suzuno opened the door, stepped outside and tried not to cringe when the sounds of Urushihara's suffering immediately greeted her. She closed the door quickly, hoping Chiho hadn't seen her expression.

Slowly, silently, she lowered herself to sit on her feet. She folded her hands in her lap, and poised herself in vigil.

This would be a long night for them all.

* * *

 _Two hours later..._

It was well into the early hours in the morning before the door to the Demon Fortress finally opened. Suzuno looked up sharply and, ignoring the stiffness in her limbs and neck, stood as Emilia walked out, looking quite weary.

"Emi-dono...is he...?" She trailed off, unable to finish. At some point, perhaps a few minutes after her vigil had begun, Urushihara's cries had ceased, and there was only silence. During those few terrifying moments Suzuno wondered if the worst had come to pass, only to hear voices afterwards, sounding grim but none of them particularly grief-ridden.

Emilia's face now seemed to tell the same. There were bags under her eyes, and her hair that she'd pinned up had fallen out of its arrangement. But Suzuno was quite certain she would have looked far worse had she come to inform her of Lucifer's death.

At least, she hoped.

Emilia didn't answer for a long time, appearing to decide just what words to give. Finally she said, "We think...he's going to be fine. But we've got some things to tell you."

Suzuno let out a long, slow breath, one she seemed to have been holding that entire night. "Very well. Shall we speak with Chiho in my apartment?"

"No! I..." Emilia answered right away, and some sort of agony flashed across her face, as if recalling a nightmarish memory. "She doesn't need to know."

"Yes, she does."

Maou slowly came through the doorway, looking perhaps more exhausted than Emilia. He leaned against the door frame, rubbing a cloth along his neck. "Urushihara's her friend too, though she might not express it much. She deserves to be told everything."

Emilia shot him a venomous glare, but seemed too tired to argue. Instead, she went to Suzuno's apartment and entered, calling softly to Alas Ramus as she closed the door.

Suzuno looked back to Maou, who had lowered his head so that his eyes were shadowed. The cloth hung from his lowered hand. It was obvious that, whatever had transpired in that room, he was reluctant to speak about it.

"Sadao-dono...?"

Maou looked up at his name, as if interrupted in thought, and despite the situation gave a small, sheepish smile. He walked wordlessly to the other apartment, and Suzuno joined him.

Inside, Emilia was sitting besides Chiho and cradling a sleeping Alas-Ramus. Quietly Maou closed the door, and both he and Suzuno sat down across from the other two women, completing the circle.

"Maou, is Urushihara okay?" Chiho asked, breaking the silence.

"He'll be all right," Maou replied, smiling. It was a smile that didn't entirely reach his eyes, Suzuno noticed. "He's resting now. He's got a bit of a fever, but we bandaged his wounds, and gave him what medicine we could. Ashiya's looking after him as we speak."

Chiho seemed far more at ease at his words. "Thank goodness," she whispered, blinking rapidly. "It sounded so horrible when he..."

"Sadao-dono, what had happened to him? What caused him to react like that?" Suzuno asked, as Emilia put a comforting arm around Chiho.

The smile disappeared, and Maou seemed far more grave. As concisely and considerately as he could, he described to them what he had heard from Ashiya, about how he had found Urushihara, and how the daggers, unable to be handled by any of the demons, had to have been wrapped up in cloth by Emi and placed above the refrigerator for the time being.

"We thought you might want to look at one, though," Emi interjected, pulling something wrapped in a dish towel from her kimono sleeve. "We wondered if you might recognize it."

Suzuno accepted the item and slowly peeled away the cloth. When the blade came free, Maou seemed to shrink back a little, as if the presence of it affected him. Noticing this, Suzuno stood and went to the far corner of the room, holding it up to the light.

"Beautiful," she murmured, despite knowing what it had done. "I've never seen anything like it."

She flipped it and bent close to look at the handle. "I've seen some of these markings before, though..." She held it up to her eye and looked along the blade parallel to it. "And the metal...it's Holy steel, I'm sure of it."

"Holy steel? You're certain?"

"Positive. The Church kept several weapons as archives in its vault, most of them ancient. A few had legends that they were once used by angels in a war a long time ago, and the clerics would say they forged their weapons using Holy steel. This looks just like some of the weapons I've seen, not to mention it's a similar design to the swords Gabriel and his henchmen were using. I've never seen this dagger, though the Demon's Frost suggests it was specially crafted for demons. It's rather ingenious in it's design; with it, you could harm practically any being you come across."

Maou narrowed his eyes. "Your devious Church seems to be capable of more horrors than my campaign could have ever achieved," he said darkly. "To think I was once called the lord of evil."

"I no longer consider it 'my Church', Demon King," Suzuno responded curtly, turning to meet Maou's glare with an icy look of her own. "And you can put away your accusations; unless my actions before weren't clear, I think I've established I'm on your side. If you insist on not trusting me, however, then I will kindly suggest you remove yourself from this traitor's home."

Maou's rough demeanor had long since fallen away, to be replaced by a stunned gape. When Suzuno finished, he ducked his head in apology, and a sheepish grin pulled up his mouth.

"Sorry," he responded, his eyes twinkling just a little. "But I had to be sure. You were sounding almost in praise of them, so..."

"I'm not shallow when it comes to my loyalties," Suzuno replied coolly.

"Y-yeah, I got that now."

Suzuno humphed. "A piece of advice for the next time you try to take over the world: Learn the difference between adoration and detached admiration," Suzuno said, though she seemed to have grudgingly accepted Maou's apology.

She wrapped up the knife in the cloth again and returned to the group. "At least this narrows down the identity of the attacker," she said. "This is either someone from the Church or another angel. Maou, was this what caused Urushihara to react like that earlier?"

Once again his grin dropped, and his face went blank. At first it seemed he might be thinking, but upon closer inspection the others saw his pupils had practically disappeared into his red, glowing irises. When Maou spoke, Suzuno could glimpse fangs. It were as if he were a dangerous beast on the verge of snapping, and any wrong move could send him into a rage.

"No," he answered quietly. "That was...something else."

* * *

 _Before..._

 _"What's happening to him?" Emi asked as she sat by Lucifer's head, echoing Chiho's earlier question._

 _"We don't know," Maou growled. Despite the power he had just shown, he looked helpless, and furious at himself for it. Though hardly coherent and badly injured, Lucifer fought them with the strength of ten demons, and it took all of their power just to keep him from hurting himself further. "Quick, give him something to bite on, before he bites through his own tongue."_

 _Emi took out her hair sticks, and as her hair tumbled from place around her shoulders, she set them between Lucifer's teeth. Lucifer choked at first, but clamped down, and soon a crack was heard._

 _"We'll have to sedate him," Maou hissed to them._

 _"How, my lord? We have no human means, and a blow to a head may prove fatal." Alciel grunted as one of Lucifer's flailing legs hit him in the side._

 _"I'll try a sleeping spell," Emi stated, placing two fingers upon Lucifer's head._

 _"No!" Alciel shoved her hand away. "You might stop his heart accidentally!"_

 _"What are you talking about?" Emi demanded._

 _"He means if you slow his heart too quickly, it may stop altogether," Maou explained heatedly._

 _Emi stared at him, both at his words and his tone. Somehow, even as she sat there struggling to immobilize the thrashing half-angel, Maou had made her feel a little guilty..._

* * *

"Which reminds me. How would you know something like that?" Emi interrupted, raising an eyebrow at the Devil King.

Maou slid his gaze sideways to her, and despite the mood of the room, the corner of his mouth pulled up in a mirthless smirk, showing a canine.

"How else would we know the best ways to kill you all?" he asked softly.

Emi's forehead smoothed, and she closed her mouth, suddenly disgusted. But before she could act upon it, Suzuno cut in, asking, "How did you calm him, Sadao-dono?"

"We...didn't," Maou replied, looking mournful.

* * *

 _"We have to do something," Emi said back. "We can't hold him down forever!"_

 _Maou frowned, his eyes flickering about the room as he thought. "Can you calm him gradually?" he asked, grunting as the half-angel's arm came loose and he wrenched it down once again. "I can immobilize him while you put him to sleep, but do it slowly."_

 _"I...I think so," Emi replied. The honest answer was she'd never done anything like that before, but she placed her hands around Urushihara's head, and nodded._

 _But before they could act, they were interrupted by a whisper from Alciel._

 _"M-my lord..."_

 _Both Hero and Devil looked to the Demon General, then followed his gaze down to Urushihara's shirt. Both gasped._

 _Something dark red was seeping into the white material. Obviously what ever was causing him to bleed was also what was causing his violent reaction, but a strong sense of foreboding had come over the other three. Slowly, as carefully as he could with Urushihara's thrashing, which was steadily weakening, Maou lifted the shirt to expose his chest._

 _"Oh...H-hell..."_

 _Something had been scratched into the skin. No...was_ being _scratched . Before their eyes, thin, deep wounds were etching themselves into his flesh, as if drawn by an invisible blade. A strange white light glowed within them, and blood streamed onto the mats._

 _Some part of them in the back of their minds screamed for them to act, to stop this terrible thing, but they found themselves transfixed in horrible fascination, up until the last line was slit._

 _When it finished, Urushihara suddenly melted, as if all his energy had left him at once. Every now and then he twitched, though his eyes remained closed. His feverish mutters were unheard by the other three, who continued to stare at the markings._

 _They were letters. Words. A crude message, written in the language of Ente Isla._

 _And it was addressed to Maou._

 _ **"429 Choushi. Midnight. Vige pe hte vikl, Jahan, ok I min um anohtek vooje,"** Maou read aloud, his voice hoarse. _

_Give me the girl, Satan, or I pin up another goose._

* * *

"It was a Carver," Maou finished, his voice tight with disgust. "Right into his flesh."

Emi was silent. Suzuno had a hand over her mouth, and her eyes closed at Maou's last words. Chiho had gone very pale, and she looked as though she might either be sick or pass out, but she managed to steady herself on Emi, and asked, "What's a Carver?"

"A Carving Message, or otherwise known as a God's Hand Message," Suzuno replied faintly, lowering her hand. "It's a technique taught long ago to mages of the Church by angels of Heaven. It's a way of passing secret messages to each other during times of war. A message is written against a surface using magic, usually a stone or tree trunk, but it can only be revealed to the person it's intended towards. When the intended person is nearby the designated area, the message will recognize their energy, and carve itself into the surface so that it's visible for a short while. It can only be shown once, that way the wrong eyes can't see it. It usually disappears after a minute or so..." Suzuno looked beseechingly towards Maou. To her dismay, the demon lord shook his head.

"For some reason this one won't fade," he said grimly. "We managed to stop it bleeding, but it's still there. We can't figure out what's wrong."

Chiho swayed, a little green. Seeing the signs, Suzuno quickly rose and pulled up Chiho, rushing her to the bathroom. A second later, retching could be heard.

Emi stroked Alas' hair softly. "You look troubled by something, Maou" she observed.

Maou didn't deny her. "There's something that doesn't make sense," he mused aloud. "Normally, Carvers show up right when the designated person approaches. Sometimes all a person has to do is be there and it shows up. It was the reason it lost tactic and use in the war, because sometimes the person would pass by accidentally, and the message would be visible to the enemy as well. But on Lucifer, the message didn't show itself until after I healed him."

"Perhaps...it took longer because a living body was used instead," Emi suggested.

"No..." Maou responded. He furrowed his eyebrows, as if in guilt. "I believe...the spell did not recognize me in human form. Only when I fed him my energy did it activate, and..." He couldn't finish.

Emi frowned. "That doesn't makes sense. That's far too much trouble just to give you a message." When Maou prompted for her to elaborate, she gave a short sigh. "Well, it would require you to provide energy in the first place, since as you said the spell likely did not recognize your human form. That's one chance who ever did this would have to take. And why would they write a Carver? They could have easily left a paper note or something. Carvers take a lot of magic to do properly, so it seems kind of excessive that they would go so far as to leave that elaborate a message."

Maou was about to respond when Alas Ramus gave a sleepy murmur, and both parents looked down at their child. Alas shifted, and her eyes opened.

"Mommy?" she mumbled. "Mommy, you're back!"

Emi wrapped her up in a hug. "Hey, sweetie," she said, for the first time not minding at all how she was reminded of her motherhood.

"Lucifer okay?"

"He's fine, Alas, just fine." Emi held her close, resting her chin on Alas' head. A moment later Alas pulled away and looked up at her mother with wide, pleading eyes.

"Can I see him?"

Emi hesitated. "...No, Alas, we'll just let him rest."

"But-"

"Hey, Alas," Maou said gently, shuffling himself to her side. "It's really late at night, so Urushihara's sleeping. You should be sleeping too, you know. When he wakes up, you'll be able to see him."

With understanding rarely seen in a toddler, Alas Ramus nodded and said, "Okay, Daddy." She rubbed her eyes and yawned, then asked, "When will he wake up?"

At that, Maou lowered his eyes. Then he shrugged and said, "Urushihara's so lazy, nobody can tell when he wakes up. So we just have to wait."

Emi snorted ungracefully, and Maou looked at her, bewildered.

Alas was already falling asleep, but she managed to murmur, "Daddy's so mean..."

As she spoke, her body was beginning to light up in a glow. When it faded, she'd gone.

"Wha-! Alas, how can you say that about Daddy?!" Maou cried.

" _Shhh!_ " Emi put a scolding finger to her lips. She tapped her temple "She might be in here, but she can still be woken up, and you do _not_ want to see what I'm like with her crying in my head."

Glumly, Maou silenced himself.

"The child knows more than she lets on." Suzuno spoke, amused, as she guided a clammy-looking Chiho back to the group.

"Chiho, are you all right?" Maou ignored the jibe and started to rise, but sat back down again when both Chiho and Suzuno held out a placating hand. Chiho nodded.

"I'm all right," she replied, thankfully sounding much stronger than she seemed.

"You should return home, Chiho-dono. Surely your mother must be frantic about you," Suzuno suggested.

Chiho shook her head. "I called her right before I left with you. Told her a friend was in trouble. She said it was all right if I ended up staying the night."

Maou gave a soft smile of amazement. Chiho's mother was easily one of the more confusing and surprising humans he'd ever come across.

Now that she seemed to have gotten over her shock, Chiho adopted an expression that reflected the angry feelings of all those around her. "Who's doing this?" she asked. "Maou, did Uru...Urushihara say a name?"

Despite her recovered calm, she still stumbled at the injured angel's name.

Maou shook his head. "We weren't able to find out anything about his attacker."

"Do you have any idea who might have done this? Maybe...Gabriel's returned?"

"If he has, then he'd better know a way to get back to Heaven without wings attached," Emi growled, and her fingers curled slightly, as if around the hilt of a sword.

"This may sound strange, but this hardly seems like Gabriel's style."

Maou, Emi, and Chiho turned their surprised gazes to Suzuno, who had spoken. At their puzzled stares, she continued, "I'm hardly familiar with the tactics of angels, but when we fought Gabriel, as much of a low-life as he is, he doesn't seem to be the kind of person to torture somebody, much less pull a sadistic trick like the Carver."

"I think it's pretty clear hardly any of the angels are good guys like the legends say," Maou spat. "Sariel was all too willing to torture Emi and Chiho. Who knows if that guy Gabriel is really capable of this sort of thing?"

"Maou..." Emi was a little stunned at the Devil King's words in defense of her.

"Sariel is a different sort. And though he is more likely to have done this than Gabriel, why would he attack someone pointless like Urushihara? Moreover, why would he attack now, and why bother with all the secrecy and dramatic effects?" Suzuno pointed out.

The others nodded thoughtfully at her logic, none of them feeling compelled to defend the half-angel at Suzuno's insult of him, even with Urushihara lying injured in the other room.

"The only conclusion we can draw is that this was done by somebody else, another from Ente Isla. The only problem is we haven't felt any new Gates, so we can't be sure when they arrived in Japan." Suzuno thought for a moment, then said, "There was an address in the message. Did you find out what it was?"

"Uh...no. We didn't have a chance yet."

"Let us investigate it, then. Obviously this entire ordeal was a warning, and whoever attacked Lucifer wishes you to bring Alas to them. Perhaps the location of the address will provide some insight into our attacker's identity."

Her words brought a sense of comforting direction to the group, as well as a sliver of hope. It also, apparently, had, in the wake of the night's events, left Suzuno in command of the situation. Perhaps it was because she was the only one who seemed to be able to keep a calm enough head, or because she seemed to be the only one with a sense of what to do next, but none of the others wished to challenge her authoritative behavior.

Chiho took that moment to yawn widely. At the sight of it the others suddenly felt their own exhaustion, and Emi fought back her own yawn.

"Suzuno, if it's not too much trouble, may Chiho and I spend the night here in your apartment?" Emi asked sleepily.

"Of course, Emi-dono. I have some extra futons and blankets in the closet. Feel free to set them up wherever you like."

"All right. I'll set up futons, but then I'll join you and Maou."

"Huh? Why?"

"Besides Urushihara, Chiho and I are the only ones with any real experience using a laptop." Emi reminded them. "Chiho's too sleepy, but you need someone to supervise you, or your awkwardness with technology might make it explode or something."

Both Suzuno and Maou winced at her harsh words, recalling their own experiences with electronics. "F-fine, then, we'll wait," Maou said meekly.

They stood by the door as Emi and Chiho pulled out the bedding from the closet and set them up close to the back wall. Emi said a few words too quiet to hear to Chiho, who nodded. Emi rose and joined them.

"She's going to go ahead and get ready for bed," she informed them.

The others nodded, and all three of them stood there, looking at one another.

"...Well? Aren't you going?" Maou finally asked Emi, who was closest to the door.

"You first. I'm going to make sure you don't take the chance to do anything inappropriate while Chiho's changing."

"Wha-?! What the hell kind of person do you think I am?!"

"I think you're the Demon King, and with Chiho's current vulnerable disposition and large breasts, I think she's all too easy to be taken advantage of by a master of evil!"

"I might be the Master of Evil, but I'm not a _pervert!_ And are you seriously doing this _right now_?!"

"Lower your voice, Sadao-dono!" Suzuno rebuked. "We have no time for this petty arguing. Maou, please leave first."

Unable to argue against both women, Maou merely hunched his shoulders defensively and strode out. He missed the wink passed between Emi and Chiho.

The moon had long since set, and in the prelude to dawn the room was nearly pitch-black. The only illumination came from the light in the hallway outside, but even then Suzuno could make out only faint outlines of someone sitting hunched in the back corner. Maou, of course, with his keener eyesight could clearly see the figure of Ashiya next to the prone form of Urushihara, as he had been when he left. It seemed the Demon General hadn't so much as twitched from his position that entire time, even when Suzuno and Maou approached.

"Alciel," Maou whispered.

At the voice of his king, Ashiya jumped and whipped around. He visibly relaxed when he recognized the three, giving a short bow as Maou sank down next to him.

"Apologies, Lord," he said, his voice rasping as if he hadn't used it in weeks. "I didn't hear you come in."

"It's all right, Ashiya, you don't have to apologize," Maou replied. He patted Ashiya's shoulder comfortingly, and the Demon General gave a brief smile in thanks.

Emi was glad of the darkness as she watched the exchange, as it hid her expression of incredulity. Even after interacting with them for many months, it was still difficult to accept some sides she had come to witness of the terrible demons she'd once fought.

"How is he doing?" Maou asked.

Ashiya sighed. "He still has a fever, my lord. He often moves restlessly."

"He hasn't started bleeding again, has he?"

"No, my lord."

Maou let out a breath. "There's that, at least."

He raised his hand and conjured a small red flame, which sat in his palm. He held it over Urushihara.

The half-angel seemed to have worsened. A slick sheen of sweat covered every inch of his face and neck, and his hair was plastered to his forehead. Even in the red light, a grayish tinge clung to his skin like moss, and dark shadows encircled his eyes. His forehead contracted slightly as Maou moved the light closer to his face, and he tossed and turned one or two times.

 _"Ielmon,"_ he mumbled. " _Wazo-an. Ole ielmon..."_

"He's been saying things like that for a while, my lord," Alciel replied when Maou questioned him. "I understand none of what he says. It doesn't sound like any language I've come across before..."

"Nor me," Maou admitted. "Suzuno, do you recognize it?"

"I'm not sure. It sounds a little like an Entean dialect, but I can't understand it..."

Maou frowned, disappointed. "Probably just gibberish in his fever, then."

"Perhaps so."

Alciel dabbed at Lucifer's face with a cloth. "I suggest you put away the light, my lord. It seems to be bothering him."

"Oh, sorry."

Maou extinguished the flame by closing his palm, then stood. "You'd best get some rest soon, Alciel. You look exhausted."

Ashiya gave a weary smile. "So do you, Maou-sama."

Maou snorted, then walked over to the computer, which was still sitting open on the floor. He sat cross-legged in front of it, and the two women peered over his shoulder. He moved his finger across the mousepad.

The screen lit up, and a jolt ran through him. He knew the others had felt the same when Suzuno wordlessly handed him a cloth, and he gratefully used it to wipe away the blood on the screen, though most of it had dried, making it difficult. When it was moderately clear, his eyes focused on the webpage that had already been pulled up.

A part of him immediately wished he could put the blood back. At least he wouldn't be left with such a wrenching feeling in his gut. He'd known Urushihara had called him earlier; it had been the first hint that something was wrong, because the half-angel had called and then ended it before he picked up. Urushihara _never_ let a call go to waste, as often they were an outlet to stave off boredom.

Or alert others to danger.

That, plus the foreboding shiver down his spine, had pushed him to convince the others to return home, even though the fireworks had only barely started. Thankfully, they must have sensed something was off as well, for they didn't argue as much as he'd expected.

"Maou?" Emi prompted him from his thoughts, and he realized he'd been sitting there for a while. Without responding or looking at her, he closed down the Skype page and pulled up a fresh search engine, typing in a request for a digital map. He entered the address into the search bar and hit 'Find'.

While the internet was working, they all noticed the sound of a light snoring, and saw Ashiya drooping steadily downwards, every now and then jerking back up with a soft grunt.

In the midst of all the stress and despair that had happened thus far, they all gave in to the humor of the scene and enjoyed a small chuckle. Suzuno shuffled over and placed a hand on Alciel's shoulder, causing the demon to awaken suddenly with a snort.

"Perhaps I should take over while you rest," Suzuno suggested.

"No, that's quite all right, I'm still awa-a-aaaaake," Alciel murmured, giving an impressive yawn at the end of his sentence, which didn't help his case.

"Alciel, that's an order. Do as she says," Maou called softly, hiding a grin.

"As you wish, m'lord," Alciel said automatically. He obediently got to his feet and shuffled to another part of the room. As he passed Maou, however, he stopped as if he'd remembered something, and got too his knees before his king. He bowed low.

"My lord, I've served your punishment long and well," he intoned sleepily. "Though I cannot say I've learned the error of my ways, I can at least say with confidence that I have a better understanding of them, and will do my best to improve my behavior from now on. I hope I am once again worthy in your eyes of the position of your General, and I respectfully beg your forgiveness, Maou-sama."

Maou gave an affectionate smile. "You're forgiven, Alciel." He cast his eyes over Ashiya's figure. "Did you have a good time?"

Ashiya raised his head, and returned his lord's smile. "A very good time, my lord. For the most part, it was quite relaxing."

"I'm glad. Now get to sleep."

"As you say, my lord." Ashiya crawled no further than three feet before flopping down with his head on a thick book. Within seconds he was snoring again.

Maou grinned and turned back to the laptop, which seemed to have finally gained a result. The map zoomed downwards to a city block, on a large, squarish white building surrounded by green lawns and pale gray parking lots.

"Wagahara General Hospital?" Emi read aloud, and she and Maou frowned. This was certainly the last place any of them were expecting. Perhaps an abandoned warehouse, or some place by a large body of water, but definitely not a building with people. Definitely not one with so many officials as a _hospital._

But there was no mistaking it. No other location was suggested on the map, and the building dominated the block, making it unlikely there was any misinterpretation.

"Well, Sadao-dono? We have a day to decide. Will you meet him?" Suzuno asked.

"Are you actually considering we give up Alas Ramus?" Emi hissed, and the others could have sworn they heard Alas' offended tone as well.

"Of course not. But we have a day to decide our move. That's plenty of time to come up with a plan, or even a counterattack," Suzuno replied calmly, and Emi backed down, seemingly satisfied.

"We won't be able to make a plan without knowing the identity of the attacker," Maou said, tapping a finger against his chin. "But...there is somebody we can talk to first."

"Who?" Emi urged, when Maou refused to elaborate further.

A determined light now shone in Maou's eye, and a hint of a devilish smirk made it all the more creepy. Instead of answering Emi, he closed down the laptop and set it on the table.

"In any case, it's been a long night. We really should be getting some sleep," he said, looking up and down the two women. Their kimonos were rumpled, their hair sticking up in several places, and if he wasn't positive they would tear down the entirety of Villa Rose in retaliation, he would have noted the deep lines in their faces, worn from stress and sleep-deprivation.

He began ushering both women out the door. "We'll discuss things in the day time. I'll look after Urushihara. Until then, good night!" He gave a swift and almost overly-polite bow in salutation. Grumbling at his off-handed behavior, but certainly not complaining, both women exited into the hallway. Before stepping outside, Suzuno placed the knife in her sleeve with the other atop the refrigerator, passing a look to Maou. Maou nodded in return, and Suzuno smiled, stepping out of his sight.

Only then did Maou's facade fall away, and his mouth deepened into a grimace. He took his position at Urushihara's bedside, already thinking. He would get no sleep that night; his mind was too wired, he desire for revenge too piercing. He broke his concentration only when the sleeping half-angel shifted, making a soft moan. His gaze softened, and one semi-clawed hand found its way to Lucifer's forehead. As if in response, Urushihara turned into his palm, so that if his eyes were opened, he would have most certainly locked gazes with his king.

A deep sigh escaped Maou. "Thank you," he said quietly in the Entean language. "I don't say it often enough, but thank you. I don't know exactly what you did, but it must have been big, because you certainly paid the price for it..." His throat closed up momentarily. He swallowed, then continued. "I might have been wrong in assuming you were incompetent in the Western Continent," he said, giving a brief chuckle.

The laugh died down, and he withdrew his hand. "I'll repay you, whatever it takes," he promised. "If nothing else, once I find out who did this, I'll repay you."

Urushihara mumbled something again, too soft to hear. Maou almost didn't pay attention, but he realized it wasn't random sounds, but rather a word, repeated over and over again. He leaned closer.

" _Ijkawil,_ " the fallen angel murmured. " _Ijkawil._ "

* * *

 **RN:** IMPORTANT: There is something I must inform you all of. Due to events that are in preparation of another event, I will be going on a hiatus on this story for an indeterminable amount of time. I promise I will not disappear off the face of the earth, I may get another chapter in in a few weeks or so. I've tried to end this story on as mildly suspenseful a cliffhanger as I can, but I'm not sure how successful I was. Regardless, I sincerely apologize to those of you who are keeping up on their toes waiting for my updates, but I must ask that you fall back flat on your feet for a period of time. I am definitely not abandoning this, this is just a temporary leave while I sort out affairs and finish preparations. I've left this message so that none of you are tearing your hair out wondering where I've gone. I promise I will return to this story as soon as I can. Until then, keep reading and writing yourselves!

~Hooray, I've managed to create a villain so villainous that people hate him! We certainly haven't seen the last of Raphael, oh no...This story is just going to get deeper.

~The hospital name and location were entirely made up, just in case...I dunno, anybody was wondering...

~And to all my Guest reviewers whom I haven't been able to answer back, thank you so much for your reviews. You all are amazing, and I appreciate you keeping up with this story.

~Lastly, to everyone, logged in and out alike, please be thoughtful and tell me your thoughts, thoughtful as those thoughts are thought!


	6. Regret

Dawn.

In all his centuries of living, Maou never thought he would hope for it, nor be so happy to see it.

Like a human.

Like the ones he'd terrorized.

Maou sighed, and looked up to the window, wincing when his stiff neck protested with a twinge. The sun wasn't visible yet, but the sky had lightened to a soft powdery blue, and the very edges of the clouds were tinged in pink. Nobody had bothered to close the window during the night - not that it would have mattered with the door broken down - so the first bird songs of the day tweeted sweetly into the room.

For the Demon King, who had never paid attention to such things before, he found himself experiencing a strange, yet nostalgic feeling. After several minutes of mulling it over, he was finally able to put a word to it.

 _Gratitude._

It was gratitude that the worst was over, that the darkness had faded and a future was still possible. It was gratitude that all hadn't been for naught, and his luck might turn for the better from here on out.

He'd never had to feel this way, except once, a very long time ago, so long he'd nearly forgotten. Usually he was the one on the other end, giving _reasons_ for humans to fear the worst. But now, as he welcomed the morning breeze, sweet in the musty, stagnant air, he felt grateful, because Urushihara was still alive.

Had they felt this way? When the humans hid in their homes as his armies drew closer, bringing with them a promise of everlasting darkness and death for them all, in the blackest hours of the night, had they hoped? Had they prayed? Perhaps they sat the very same way he did now, exhausted as though dead already, yet kept awake by the burrowing worry for their loved ones. Perhaps in those hours, the walls would have seemed closer, the darkness more pressing, and the hours like an eternity.

He'd never thought about the humans at home. No, that was a lie, he _had_ thought about the humans at home—they made perfect targets to unbalance the fighting soldiers on the front line. He learned quickly that an emotionally distraught human equaled a dead human, and the best way to shatter them was through those close to them. He couldn't count how many campaigns he'd ordered to lay waste to the villages and cleanse them of the human infestation. His minions would drag the families out of their houses and leave their bodies on full display as a welcoming gift for the soldiers who somehow managed to make it home, and once the humans had found out what had happened, his minions would cackle with glee at their horrified faces, relishing the anguished howls they made.

Maou snorted softly. Human karma, it seemed, had finally decided to pay him a visit.

He wasn't sure yet if he regretted his actions or not. Certainly when he had been King of the Demons he hadn't regretted a thing. He knew it was his time as a human that had softened his attitude towards them, and because of this he had learned to sympathize with them. Even the ones he had killed.

But his actions had also unified the demon race, prevented needless slaughter of their kind and given them hope, something that hadn't been seen in their society for thousands of years. His actions had ensured the humans would no longer be in a position to hunt them down like lowly beasts, as they had been doing for longer than many could remember. He had given them a future…by taking away the humans'.

 _Do I…_

Besides, it wasn't as if they didn't deserve it. Ironically enough, many of the horrors he'd committed paled in comparison to what he'd seen some humans do to captive demons, the few unlucky ones who hadn't been impaled on sight. Not even demons would do to each other what those men had performed all too willingly on his kind.

 _…regret…_

Maou's eyes drifted down to his hand, which was more visible in the growing light. A human hand. He was sure it was human blood that pumped through his veins, a human heart that beat within his chest, a human mind that had kept him awake with these thoughts. It had always puzzled him why his body had taken this form when his magic dissipated. At first, he'd thought it was his body trying to compensate for the strange realm he and Ashiya had jumped into. But nowadays, he'd begun to doubt that conclusion. Perhaps, at the root of it all, demons weren't all that different from humans. Perhaps, at their very base, the two races were actually the—

A loud snore broke through his thoughts, and he jumped. He looked sharply to Ashiya, who was still in practically the same position as the night before. Letting out a breath, Maou was almost surprised to see himself halfway standing. He settled back to a sitting position and stretched his aching legs, sighing as the joints creaked and popped.

He squinted when something bright poked the corner of his eye, and he turned towards it, putting up a hand to shield his eyes. A dribble of sunlight had finally made it over the horizon, and he shifted aside out of its path. It fell instead upon Urushihara, whose eyebrows contracted slightly in response. In the burnished ochre color, his gaunt skin seemed nearly back to normal, and he looked to be merely in deep slumber, like he often was.

Speaking of sleeping…Maou had been mildly surprised to find he wasn't the least bit tired despite having stayed up the entire night. He knew from firsthand experience what sleep deprivation did to the human body, and it was one of his constant sources to complain about how weak humans were. He knew that, after staying up an entire night, humans would sometimes experience a temporary period of rejuvenation, where they would feel wide awake despite the stress placed on their bodies. At first Maou thought such a period had hit him, for he felt not the least bit weary in body or mind. But there was none of the strain that usually wore away at his edges, and in fact he felt quite refreshed. Not unlike the feeling that would come when he'd regain…his powers…

Maou looked out the window once again. He hadn't paid much attention during the night, but sirens had been near constant up until an hour ago, and a couple of times he'd thought he'd heard rapid footsteps on the sidewalks, like someone running to get away. An accident had happened, somewhere, a big one. He hadn't heard or seen anything on the way here, but it had been big enough to cause widespread panic so that it reached even him, all the way in Sasazuka Village…

"Just what were you up to, Urushihara?" Maou murmured.

For a brief moment, he was annoyed. If there was panic, then it meant _something_ had to have been broken - _something I'll have to clean up..._ again! - but he brushed aside the thought as soon as it had come. Now was not the time for such pettiness.

He stretched, then got to his feet, a grin on his face. This was good, actually. He would have to leave them for the time being, but while he was gone, the human negativity would feed his two generals, and at the very least, provide them a little comfort.

Maou gave an affectionate smile to his two sleeping generals, then quietly started to prepare for work. He still had a MgRonald's shift to do, after all.

* * *

The restaurant was quieter than usual, but that was to be expected on a Sunday.

That MgRonald's had chosen to be open 7 days a week now had surprised Emi and Suzuno greatly, but as Maou had explained to them,

 _"You wouldn't believe how competitive Kisaki can get. If she were a demon general, she wouldn't rest until she had the other three taking orders from her ("As if!" Ashiya squawked, though the others ignored him). Sariel started opening Sentucky on weekends under the pretext of gaining more customers, but really it's so that he can get more chances to see 'his goddess'." He made quotation marks in the air with her fingers. "Kisaki knows full well his intentions, but she's also not going to forgive a business move like that. So she started opening on the weekends too. As a result I have shifts every day now, though she let Chiho off since she still has school."_

Though there were less customers than on any other day, Maou still felt it would be taking something of a risk to ask his boss the question he had been meaning to give from the moment he left his home.

"Kisaki-san, may I have a bit of time for a break today?"

The manager of MgRonald's and Maou's strict, sharp-tongued boss, Mayumi Kisaki, looked up from the webpage she had been staring intently at with a frown. "Break, Maa-kun?" she repeated. "You don't take breaks."

"Today would be what you call a 'special exception', I suppose."

"Oh?" Kisaki leaned back in her chair, her scrutinizing gaze now turned on him. "Is it about your neice?"

Maou flinched. This human had a terrifying knack for guessing on mark...

"Kind of," he admitted, unable to lie to her. "There's been a bit of an incident..."

"If it's that serious, you should have asked for the day off," Kisaki said, a reprimanding tone creeping in.

"I-it's not _that_ serious! I mean, it _is_ serious, but a good employee comes regardless! Besides, I figured it'd be better to provide my services for most of the day and have only an hour off rather than be absent the entire time - " He cut himself off when he noticed the wry grin on his boss' face.

"It's all right, Maa-kun, you can have your break."

"...Really?"

Considering employees weren't given breaks on a normal basis, and with a boss so devoted to her business as Kisaki, Maou was a little stunned at how easily he'd won. Even if he was skilled enough with words as to unite the entirety of Ente Isla, he'd entered his manager's office prepared to have to stand his ground.

"If you were any other employee, I'd have refused," Kisaki told him. "But I know you wouldn't ask for one without a good reason. And if it's a family matter, you ought to consider that more important than your job."

It was getting a little scary how contrary to his expectations his manager was responding. Maou only nodded and replied, "Yes, boss. Thank you."

"However, I do want to remind you that we can't afford any setbacks this month, so don't expect another one soon, probably not until the next month is over."

"R-right." _That_ felt more like Kisaki. "Thanks a lot, boss."

"Mmm." Kisaki had already drawn up her chair closer to her desk and gone back to her computer.

It was a great surprise he'd bought himself this time so easily, but Maou wasn't about to complain. Rather, he couldn't _afford_ to complain. As he exited the restaurant and walked over to the Sentucky Fried Chicken across the street, his relief at his small victory melted into the cold seriousness that had been lying like a stone in his chest ever since the previous night.

He walked through the doors into the near empty restaurant with the manager's name in his throat, ready to carry a warning that he demanded the disguised angel's attention, and Sariel would be foolish to refuse.

When he saw what lay before him, the name choked in his throat, and instead he sputtered, "SA- _ru*cough cough*_ _*gasp*_ EMI?!"

"Yo, Demon King. Seems like we had the same idea."

Emi and Chiho occupied a table in the center before a frankly terrified-looking Sariel, whose expression grew even more foreboding at the appearance of Maou. The only reason Emi could call him by his true title was that they were the only occupants in the entire restaurant; not even any employees were present. Maou couldn't help but inquire about this as he joined them at the table.

"I had Sariel here close up shop early for the day," Emi replied, answering instead. "Didn't want anyone seeing this, of course."

She gestured to the Holy Steel knife lying almost innocently on the table, apparently taken from Maou's refrigerator before she arrived. Somehow not a trace of blood remained on the blade. Maou sat down in the chair next to Chiho and tried not to shiver at the cold emanating from it.

"At first I thought she'd come to kill me with it," Sariel said heatedly. His eyes kept flicking nervously from the knife to the Hero, who gave a leering grin in response. "Maou, as a fellow employee, I'd have thought you'd have more respect for the work environment!"

" _Are you suggesting I don't?_ "

Suddenly the Demon King seemed far bigger, and in a flame-like aura almost seemed to have assumed his original form. As the great red-eyed shadow loomed over the pathetic angel, Sariel screeched and stammered, " _N-no I'm not, no I'm not!_ "

Maou fell grumpily back into his chair. _He really has gotten fat,_ he noted absentmindedly. The angel's face had gotten pudgier, and little bulges folded his shirt around his middle.

He was more surprised than anything, however, to see Chiho there. It was obvious she was doing worse this morning: bags hung under her eyes, and her hair wasn't entirely brushed. She was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, which meant she hadn't gone home yet. Her face, normally so cheerful and full of hope, was haunted and etched with worry. Nevertheless, when Maou asked her, gently, if she was doing all right, she gave him a smile and answered, "Yes, Maou, I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

 _No, you're not._ But Maou didn't contradict her. For all his prowess as a demon king, Maou felt humbled next to her simple attempts to remain strong. He transferred his gaze past her to Emi.

"So, what are you doing here? And where's Suzuno?"

"We want information, obviously." Emi glared at him as though he were a simpleton. "Suzuno decided to stay behind and help out Ashiya. I called Emerelda earlier this morning to ask her about these markings."

She turned the knife over and held it up so that they were visible for all to see. Maou hadn't gotten a good look at them the previous night, but now he could see it wouldn't have made a difference; he'd never seen anything like them before. They seemed like the magic seals, the circles that appeared whenever someone powered up an attack, but also had a different symbol in the middle of each one. There was a circle with crisscrossed lines through it, something like a full moon with a spot in it...or maybe it was an eye? He couldn't make heads or tails of them. "And?"

"It's a language. She told me it's Enochian."

 _Enochian?_

The language of the angels...No wonder the symbols were foreign to him. He'd hardly heard word of Enochian in Ente Isla, much less seen the language before. It was said not even the high clerics were allowed to be taught it, for a single word could tear apart an entire forest. And yet there were four of them, etched into the handle for all to see.

"Emerelda couldn't actually understand the symbols, so I decided to visit this perverted lump of sadness and have him tell us what it means. Chiho wanted to come too, so I let her."

Maou glanced at Chiho when she said that, and found that she had been gazing at him as well. Despite her exhaustion there was a burning look of determination in her eyes, as if daring anyone to try and say she should have stayed behind. Maou, who been about to say just that, closed his mouth and instead took the knife from Emi, ignoring the chilling feeling that immediately soaked into his hand.

"If you think I'm going to do anything for you, you're sadly mistaken." Sariel crossed his chubby arms in a huff. "I certainly don't feel any obligation to help you, and you're lucky I'm deciding not to pin you to the wall with that kni-"

The chair scraped across the floor as Maou stood, and Sariel cut off with an "eep!" The angel gulped nervously as Maou wrapped his long, thin fingers around the handle. "M-Maou...ah..."

He flinched with a high-pitched yelp as Maou slammed the knife onto the table before him.

"Translate it. Now." Maou's voice was a barely audible rumble.

Whether out of some shred of bravery or sheer stupidity, Sariel gathered the last of his courage and stammered, "D-didn't you hear what I just said? I'm not -!"

"If you don't, I'll tell Kisaki that you publicly reviewed her food as tasteless and unattractive, and I'll suggest she ban you from entering her restaurant ever again."

"ThefirstsymbolisthecrestofHeavenandmarksthestatusofanangelofthehighestheirarchy," Sariel listed off immediately, faster than either Emi or Chiho could process. Never before had they seen someone submit under threat with such vigor.

"From the beginning, and speak so we can understand you," Maou said over Sariel's babbling. "You recognize this knife, don't you? At least you know what it's made of."

"Every angel knows Holy Steel when they see it," Sariel sniffed, speaking at a more normal pace. "But this is a real special case. I can't even begin to imagine how you got your hands on it."

Maou shot a questioning look at Emi.

"All we've told him is that we want him to translate the symbols. The less he knows, the better, in my opinion," she answered simply.

"...For once, I actually agree with you, Hero."

The way he said that brought a strong sense of dread. "What do you mean?" Maou prompted.

Sariel smoothed down his hair, trying to regain what little dignity he had left, and tapped his fingers against the hilt of the knife. "This is an angelic blade of the highest quality. You can tell by the emerald worked into the handle. I don't know that much about being a blacksmith, that was always for angels of lower rank, but I can tell you that much. The blade's been laced with something, though I'm not sure what. But I've never seen it before, so it's probably someone's experiment.

"Not many angels decide to name their weapons, except for those of very high rank or with an over-inflated sense of self-worth. Like this one." He pointed to the last three symbols, with the circle with the three crisscrossing lines, a feather with a crescent moon in the middle, and the eye. "There's no direct translation I can give you, but the closest thing might be "to drain one's soul". I'm not sure what that means, but I guess it's not something you want to happen to you.

"Then there's _this._ " He pointed to the first symbol, a moon with two smaller circles within it and a four-petaled flower, almost like a star, in the center. "This is the crest of Heaven, only this version symbolizes an angel of the highest hierarchy. Very few angels in Heaven have weapons with this crest. Gabriel has one. Once your mother did too, Hero, but she lost her privilege when she disappeared. The only other three now are Michael, Azrael, and Raphael."

Sariel leaned back and crossed his arms, sighing at their unimpressed expressions. "If it helps put things into perspective, Gabriel is the second weakest of those four. Michael and Azrael are at least ten times stronger than him, so if it's either of them coming after you, you can leave me out of this."

"Gabirel...was the _second_ weakest?" Emi, who had fought off Gabriel personally, gaped at the angel. Maou had only briefly battled him (if one could call hanging off his shoulders battling) and Chiho had merely felt a brief taste of his power, but simply that was enough to shock them. Two angels far stronger than Gabriel was...it was hard to comprehend right away.

Chiho leaned forward, speaking for the first time since Sariel began his narrative. "Sariel-san, what about Raphael? If it's him, then surely we can beat him, right?"

For some reason, a look of extreme discomfort came over the angel at Raphael's name. "True, he's not particularly powerful when it comes to strength or magic," Sariel said slowly. "But he has other methods of fighting. He's clever. _Creepy,_ but clever. He was known for experimenting a lot in Heaven, in multiple areas, whether it was poisonous plants, magic, or even human biology. God made him stop when some of his experiments got a little too... _extreme_ , and that was a few thousand years ago. Since then, I don't know what he's been up to. All I know is that I'd rather take Michael or Azrael over him."

The table fell into silence as this information was absorbed. Maou churned at all that had just been said. He wasn't sure if he felt better or not after hearing it. His demon blood scoffed and grinned at the challenge, but the confidence stayed trapped in his veins, while the rest of him began to grow numb with foreboding, though he couldn't imagine why.

Sariel folded his arms again. "Now, are you going to tell me what's going on and which angel is after you this time?"

"No offense, but I'd rather not—Wait." Maou frowned at the angel. "How do you know it's an angel after us? What if it was stolen? And what do you mean, 'which angel'? You can't tell? I thought all you angels had like an angel radar or something."

Sariel colored indignantly. "There is no 'angel radar'! What do you think I am, a GPS? All I can do is sense bursts of energy, like you can! Don't go around making ridiculous statements about things you don't know about!"

He cut himself off when he realized everyone had stopped listening. Huffing, he said loudly, "All right, all right. To answer your first question, the only way you could get this knife is if you were fighting an angel of the highest rank. The only weapons of this caliber are in Heaven, and as long as I've lived no one's ever broken into Heaven before, so no, it wasn't stolen. No angel of lesser status is capable of wielding a knife with this crest on it either. If I were to pick this up right now, it'd eventually grow so heavy it'd be like trying to lift the Earth itself. Humans and demons can carry it, but the moment they try to use it on something the crest activates and they get a backlash of magic. You can bet your last drop of demon energy it's one of those three."

Maou clenched his fists. Of all the luck...It was almost funny, how the worst possible situation seemed to have plopped down on their shoulders. How it was always falling on their shoulders.

So that was it. Another angel. One of the highest hierarchy, and with all certainty worse than Gabriel ever was. And they still didn't know which one.

Maou felt a hairline crack appear in his cool-headed, stony resolve, and a hint of despair bared his fangs in a grimace. He was a fool. He was a _fool._ He'd thought, perhaps, if he were determined enough, if he set his heart against it, he'd win. He'd overcome his enemy's forces, no matter how many or how strong, because that's what he'd always done. He'd knock this enemy to the dirt until they quivered before him and learned to cry his name in fear and praise, for he was the Demon King.

Except he wasn't Demon King. Not in this form anyways. He was human. Weak, pathetic, powerless, foolish, insignificant _human._

Maou knew he wasn't acting himself, knew he shouldn't let himself give in to his trepidation, but he didn't care anymore. Suddenly the reality of everything was rushing over him, wave after wave of gut-wrenching anxiety that clenched his chest until he couldn't breathe. Such a human reaction. He was _human._

And last time he'd been human and faced against an angel, _how exactly had that gone?_

He'd been helpless. For all his resolve, his determination to fight to the bitter end and do whatever it took to make sure his daughter wasn't taken, he'd been likely the least helpful of the lot. All it had taken was one measly spell to choke him half to death. So helpless, instead of protecting his daughter, like he'd promised, his daughter had been forced to protect _him._ And he did nothing but watch as she disappeared in a brilliant flash of light, all because...that's all he _could_ do.

He'd gotten lucky last time. Through some miracle, Alas had returned to him, safe and sound, and no one but him had gotten hurt.

This time, luck had come to collect its debt. One of his worst fears had been realized. One of his subordinates, _his subjects,_ had fallen victim, as a message to him.

How _dare_ he call himself a king after that?

He wasn't strong enough. The panic from the accident earlier had given him back some of his energy, but not nearly enough to take on Gabriel a second time. And if the others were at least ten times as strong...

"Maou."

He felt a warm hand on his arm. When he raised despondent gaze, Chiho gave him an encouraging smile and stated, "It's all right. We won't let them take Alas Ramus."

She spoke so sincerely, Maou wanted to believe her. But fragments of Urushihara's wet, rattling breaths and feverish mutters flitted through his mind. Sounds he'd heard a thousand times before but for some reason was only now being haunted by them. Sounds he'd—

Maou sat up sharply, and Chiho withdrew her hand in alarm. Sariel let out a squeak and flinched again, but Maou didn't notice.

"Enochian," he murmured.

He dropped his gaze to Sariel, who tried to scoot away but with his bulk didn't manage to do much more than tilt his chair back, so far that he lost balance and started to fall. He gave a yelp, but before he could hit the ground Maou seized the front of his shirt and pulled him effortlessly back up, and he found himself centimeters from the blazing eyes of Satan.

"Ijkawil."

In his panic Sariel didn't catch what he said right away, and only said, "What?"

"What does Ijkawil mean in Enochian?"

Sariel furrowed his eyebrows, too confused to understand why Maou was asking but too scared to anything but answer. "It's a name. It's what we called Raphael in the older days."

Maou slowly released his grip on Sariel's shirt, and sank back into his chair. Sariel's own chair rocked back to the ground with a _thump,_ though the angel was too surprised to react. "How do you know that name? Only a select few angels know the ancient names."

"Urushihara said it, while he was unconscious," Maou breathed. "That's who attacked us. Raphael. It's got to be."

"So we've got the creep coming after us? Can't we ever get the normal ones?" Emi spoke crossly, but her tone was less sharp than normal, and instead betrayed her relief that they had _finally_ gotten a name, and her eagerness to attack.

Maou placed both hands on the table. "Sariel, what about 'wazoan' and 'ielmon?"

For some reason, a curious look sharpened the angel's features, and for the first time he looked serious. "Maou..." he said quietly. "Did something happen to Lucifer?"

An icy feeling washed over Maou, and with trepidation he replied, "Why do you ask that?"

Sariel frowned, as if suspicions had been confirmed, and he answered in a low tone, "Because those words are Enochian for 'burn' and 'poison'."

Maou felt the blood drain from his face, and his horror must have easily shown, for Sariel leaned forward and said, "I hold no love for Lucifer, but I think you'd better tell me everything that's happened, Satan. If you want your general to live, that is."

* * *

 **RN:** A bit of behind the scenes for how I wrote Enochian: In the anime, the writers created the Ente Islan language using a mixed up alphabet, AZYXEWVTISRLPNOMQKJHUGFDCB. Basically just replace every letter in a word with the corresponding letters in this alphabet, and you get the Ente Islan equivalant. For the Enochian, I just found an Enochian translator (yay internet!) and Ente Isla-fied them. So 'faboan', the word for burn, becomes 'wazoan'. Not mentioned here, the word 'ole' translates roughly into 'I'. Raphael's ancient name is an Ente Islan version of his Hebrew name, Israfil.

~A challenge to all my artistic reviewers: If you want to try drawing/painting the knife and/or its symbols, I'm really curious to see what you can imagine up! Just shoot me a link to someplace I can view it!

~Your wonderful reviews were what kept me going these past couple of months! It was actually really tricky to write this scene because I had to make a lot of adjustments, planning, and deciding what to keep and what to move to the next chapter instead. For me, it's a lot harder to write scenes of plot development instead of action (I'm sure a many of you can sympathize). But I did, and it's all thanks to you.


	7. Trust

"Are you certain they will come?"

"They'll come. We sent a message they can't ignore."

Two figures, one lithe and crouched, the other massive and standing, stood atop a building in the wee hours of the morning, invisible in the shadows.

"A day is too long. They will come up with a plan before then."

Brilliant white teeth showed in a smirk; a glint in the dying darkness. "That's what I'm hoping for."

"What if they decide to flee instead with the girl?"

"They'd be foolish to split up. Besides, that Demon King's shown himself to have an astoundingly large sense of loyalty to his subjects, and as incredible as it is, it also makes him nice and predictable. Now that we've attacked one of his subordinates, he'll feel compelled to seek revenge. And with the threat of another of his subjects getting hurt, he'll comply with our demands without a problem."

Raphael laughed, flexing his wings and feeling an excited shiver ruffle his feathers. "It's too easy! Who would've thought the Great Demon King Satan would have gone so soft!"

"Indeed. When I fought him last, he showed no mercy towards those under him. He did not even hesitate to kill his closest general when the demon showed any amount of failure."

"When you…" Raphael shot a quizzical look at Asbeel, but seeing the massive angel did not bother to return his gaze, he shrugged and went back to staring at the city.

After a few minutes, Asbeel's rumbling voice came again. "Lucifer mentioned one called Emilia. Who did he mean?"

"The Savior of Ente Isla and Hero of its People, Emilia Justina. She's Lailah's daughter, with that human from the West. A half-angel. She's probably the most powerful out of the whole lot. You shouldn't be worried, though, you're more than enough to take care of her."

"That is not my concern." Asbeel's arm twitched, and the faintest sound of clinking was heard briefly, like a ghost on the wind. "Why did you not tell me of her, or any of the others?"

"Does it matter? We're only here to get the fragments, anyways. But if they are stupid enough to attack us, no matter who's with them, we've got more than enough power to defeat them."

"Raphael." There was a warning in the giant's tone.

Raphael gave a poisonous glare in response, but waved an airy hand. "Fine, fine. I didn't tell you about them because I thought you might spend too much time fighting them instead of doing your job. But I guess with the way things are going I might as well show you who we're up against."

He held up his palm, and an image of a kimono-clad woman holding a giant hammer appeared. "This is a former Inquisitor of the Church. She used to be notorious at what she did, and had quite the infamous legend behind her, until she decided to join sides with Satan.

"Then there's _him_." The image changed to one of a tall blond man wearing a brown sweater and long pants. "As far as I can tell, he's an underling of Satan. I'll take care of him, as well as the inquisitor, while you handle the Demon King and the Hero."

"And Lucifer?" Asbeel slid his narrowed gaze to his partner.

Raphael regarded him with amusement. "Don't worry, you'll get your chance to finish him off. After I'm done with him, of course."

Asbeel nodded, satisfied. Raphael stood, and stretched his arms above his head. "In any case, we'd best get ready to receive them. I've given him a day, he'd better not disappoint—"

 _Rrrrring! Rrrrring!_

"…What is that noise?"

Raphael sighed. "Damn, what's he want now?" He took out a cellphone from his pocket and flipped it open. "What?"

Asbeel remained silent as Raphael listened. The stoic expression of the massive angel didn't change, but underneath he marveled somewhat at the strange electronic contraption. Even after thousands of years locked away in Heaven's dungeons, he hadn't expected the humans to progress so quickly, and today's inventions never ceased to amaze him…

"Yeah, things got a little off track, but they're back on schedule now. Not much to… _What?_ " Raphael suddenly grew outraged. "How dare you! You said I'd have free reign to handle this however I want, so don't butt in here with your lectures! Besides, if you want to rag on someone, get on Asbeel's case, not mine! _He_ was the one who screwed up!"

Asbeel did not deny that his actions were erroneous. But he still bristled at the audacity this little _fledgling_ would take to speak about such…

"…Fine. I'll take care of it. You won't even know anything happened. Just go back to your treasure hunt." *Click!* " _Prick…_ Dammit, I don't have time for this, I have a job to do!"

"What has happened, Raphael?"

"Cleaning up after you is what happened! If only you hadn't been so _impulsive_ …"

"Allow me to rectify my mistake. I will—"

" _You_ just stay put. I'm the only one who can take care of this, anyways. Besides, it's not like you can do much in your state."

A cold gleam shone briefly in Asbeel's eyes, unseen by his partner. But he merely dipped his head. "Very well. I shall remain out of sight until you return."

"Good. I'll be back within the hour, and we can get started on what we planned. Just try not to screw things up this time, _got it?_ "

"…Understood."

* * *

In the Demon's stronghold of Sasasuka Village, something akin to a buzz saw was echoing about the building.

 _Zzzzz…._

 _Zzzzz…_

 _ZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzBRAAHHHHHHHzzzzzzzz…._

 _Who knew the Master of strategy and General to the Demon King could snore so much?_ Suzuno shook her head as she re-wet Lucifer's head-cloth. Even if he were unconscious, it was hard to believe he might be able to sleep through this racket.

Suzuno allowed herself a small, reminiscent smile. _Then again, he always did sleep harder than a rock…_

She shook herself. _Does, he always does,_ she amended. _No need for talking like he's gone just yet…_

She laid the cloth across Lucifer's forehead, and sat back to get a better look at him. He did seem to be doing better. His breathing wasn't nearly as labored, and a bit of color seemed to have returned to his cheeks. His fever had gone long ago, and he didn't toss and turn nearly as much.

Suzuno bit her lip, worried. Something was very wrong. Normally, she would have expected the likes of Lucifer to have woken up by now. No matter how lazy he made himself, he was a demon, and with demons came a hardiness and speedy recovery that rivaled none. It was one of the things that made them so terrifying, for they were notoriously difficult to kill.

Gently she lifted away his blanket and peeled up his shirt, stopping only when he seemed to react towards the movement. He gave a soft murmur of distress and his legs kicked at the blankets, as if he were making some pathetic attempt to move himself away.

"Hush, Lucifer-dono. You're safe." Suzuno stroked his head, but that didn't seem to have much of an effect. This wasn't good; she needed to change the bandages on his torso and she couldn't do it properly if he kept shifting so much.

Perhaps a sedation spell would do. It was Holy Magic, and this concerned her, but maybe the angel in him would be able to withstand it. If he could eat her Holy food without a problem, then she doubted this spell would have any adverse effects.

But before she could rest her hands on Lucifer's head, another pair entered her vision, the long pale fingers resting on the half-angel's shoulders as if to protect him.

" _Keep your poisonous magic to yourself, Inquisitor_ ," a warning voice growled.

For a moment Suzuno was too stunned to reply, wondering how on Ente Isla Alciel had managed to move so quickly and so silently that she didn't notice. Then indignity took over, and she drew herself up. "I didn't think you'd still consider me your enemy, especially at a time like this, Alciel!"

When Alciel didn't answer, she continued heatedly, "If you must know, I was merely trying to sedate him so I could change his bandages! I am offended you would suspect me of otherwise! Never mind the fact that you accuse me of betraying my friends, do you really think I would be so low as to finish off an enemy who couldn't fight back? Well? Answer me, Alciel! Why do you insist—!"

" _Zzzzzzz…_ "

Suzuno fell silent, astonished, her anger washing away. She waved her hand in front of his face, but the sleeping General didn't notice, keeping the same slumped over position above Lucifer's head. Though it was quite clear he was asleep, beneath his hair his eyes were partially open, though they seemed unfocused and distant. A low humming sound brought her attention to his hands, and though it was almost unnoticeable, she saw brief flashes of green light under his fingertips. At the same time, Lucifer had stopped shifting, and let out what could almost be described as a contented sigh.

Suzuno sat back, a mixture of emotions threading through each other at what had just happened. With each interaction, her entire perspective on the three demons, and by extension demon-kind, grew just a little more complicated. It almost wasn't fair. How were you supposed to disdain an enemy who cared for his comrades?

After a moment she realized that with Lucifer still like this, she could continue her work, and went about peeling away the bloodstained bandages and rolling out new ones. Whatever positive emotions might have been refreshed melted once again at the sight of those ugly words on Lucifer's torso, still red and raw-looking. A few were even still oozing. She couldn't imagine what terrible things had been done to bring down a demon's healing to such a pitiful level.

 _No use worrying about it right now, if not even Emerelda could explain it,_ she told herself. _Just do what you can._

She allowed herself to be distracted by the actions of cleaning the wounds and dabbing at them with ointment, then layering fresh bandages across them. She took comfort in the idea that even if she wasn't curing them in total, she was at least helping.

 _A step up from executing them, for sure_ , she remarked to herself with a small grin. _Perhaps, in this way, I can gain a little redemption._

When everything was cleaned up and put back the way it was, Suzuno sat herself next to Alciel, and after a moment's debate, decided to rouse him. "Alciel-dono, you may let go now," she said, putting a hand on his arm.

Alciel jerked awake, and his hands flew upwards. "What, wh—What am I—?"

 _He really did all that while sleeping._ Suzuno gazed at him, impressed. "Alciel-dono, calm down. Nothing's happening, you can wake up now."

Alciel stared at her with wide, bloodshot eyes, as if not fully comprehending the fact that she was sitting before him right at that moment. Finally he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Suzuno gave an exasperated sigh that was not altogether one of irritation. "I've been here since the morning, taking care of Lucifer-dono. It's noon now. You've been asleep since last night."

" _Noon?_ I've been asleep that long?!" Alciel looked around, a little panicked. "Where's Maou-sama? Has he told you anything about his plan? Has anything happened so far?"

"The only thing that's happened is you've managed to sleepwalk over here and inject some magic into Lucifer-dono," Suzuno answered good-humoredly.

"Did I really?" Alciel rubbed a hand across his face. "It seems I had more magic stored in me than I thought. After all, it was pretty chaotic when I went to the…" He gave a great big yawn that seemed to last ages, and at the end of it his eyes were already starting to droop. Eyes half-lidded, he furrowed his eyebrows, like he was trying to remember something but couldn't. "…to the…um…"

Suzuno waited, but when it became apparent Alciel wasn't going to finish his sentence any time soon, she gently guided him back to his makeshift bed. "Don't worry yourself, you'll have plenty of time to tell us all about it when this is all over. In the meantime, I'll catch you up on everything that's happened so far."

But at that moment, there was a commotion from outside. A voice was protesting, " _Put me down!_ This is entirely unnecessary and undignified! I demand you let me go at- _WAHHH! DON'T LET GO! DON'T LET GYAHHHH!_ "

A body came flying into the room and skidded along the mats, face squashed against the ground and rump sticking comically in the air. Both Suzuno and Alciel stared at the figure in surprise. Suzuno, recognizing the figure, lowered her hand from her hairpin and exclaimed, "Sariel!"

The angel groaned and pushed himself up. With a clearly annoyed expression, he smoothed his rumpled uniform. "Crestia Bell," he sniffed, "why you continue to stain your honor by remaining allied with these _beasts_ is beyond me. They have absolutely no regard for courtesy!"

"Courtesy is the least of your problems," Maou growled, stomping in after him. Behind him, Emi and Chiho followed, a somewhat guarded look in their expressions.

"My lord? What's happened?" Alciel questioned.

" _Not now_ , Ashiya. You," he grabbed Sariel by the scruff of his shirt and, ignoring his yelp, tossed him closer to Lucifer. "Fix him. _Now._ "

"Hold on, Sadao-dono." Suzuno held out an arm between the two angels and frowned at the Demon King. "Tell us what's going on first. Why have you suddenly decided to trust the likes of Sariel?"

"I don't. But right now he's the only one who can help Urushihara."

"Exactly _what_ do you mean when you say 'the likes of me'?!"

"What are you talking about, Sadao-dono?" Suzuno pressed, ignoring Sariel. She didn't like this. Maou was in an uncharacteristically foul mood, even despite their situation, and it didn't help matters that he was being so secretive.

"We think Lucifer's been poisoned," Emi supplied from the doorway. As Suzuno and Ashiya looked at her in shock, she crossed the room and took Suzuno by the hand. "Here, let's give them some space to work. I'll explain everything in the other room."

"Take Ashiya with you," Maou ordered, settling into a spot on the other side of Lucifer.

"My lord, I think it would be better if I remained-"

"I don't have the patience for you to question me right now, Alciel. Now _go._ "

Ashiya immediately clammed up and followed wordlessly after Suzuno. Together the four of them moved to Suzuno's apartment.

"Don't ask me why he was acting that way," Emi said as they sat down in the middle of the room. "I figure it's because he didn't want to say the word 'poison' out loud. Coward."

"You shouldn't be so hard on him, Yusa-san," Chiho said, speaking for the first time since they returned. Suzuno's heart clenched; she sounded weary, ragged, not at all like the bright, smiling friend she'd come to cherish. "The thought's scary for all of us. Not saying it out loud probably made it easier."

"I've never known the Demon King to be scared of saying a word," Emi retorted harshly, though it seemed directed to the air more than at Chiho. "The more he dances around the topic, the more time we waste."

"We're wasting time now, Emlia-dono," Suzuno interrupted. "Tell us what you meant to say."

Emi's hardened expression didn't change, but she seemed to listen. "Well, I think I should start by telling you what happened this morning, Alciel, since you were asleep. But I'll try to keep this brief. There's a lot you two need to know."

* * *

 _Early that morning..._

Emi awoke with a start. For a brief second, she was disoriented, and a little bit panicky because of it. She couldn't remember what she'd been doing, where she was, or even what time of day it was. Her befuddled state was beginning to alarm her, and she sat up quickly, letting her instincts move her limbs. This…this room wasn't her room…what…where…?

"If you're going to wake up suddenly like that, at least point your sword away from your friends," a tired voice said.

Emi snapped her head to the side to see Crestia Bell sitting up and pushing aside her futon cover. Confused at her words, she blinked and looked down at her hand. Better Half lay drawn and glowing in her palm, and she was on her knees in a crouched position for some reason. Slowly her memories trickled back into her head, and she suddenly recalled all that happened the night before.

 ** _Mama, you okay? Bad things? We go swish-kachink?_**

The sleepy yet alarmed voice of Alas=Ramus filled her mind, and though her vocabulary was limited the child's concern was quite clear.

 **No, Alas, no...swish-kachink. Just a mistake. Sorry I woke you.**

She felt Alas give an affirming nod and withdraw. Her mind now clear, she turned her gaze back to Suzuno, who was combing her fingers through her mussed hair.

"Sorry," Emi replied, letting her sword fade away.

"Don't be. At least it means your skills as a warrior haven't dulled," Suzuno said dismissively.

Emi stared. "Suzuno, did you get any sleep at all last night?"

The Inquisitor looked beyond exhausted. Bags hung under her eyes, which were bloodshot and half-lidded, and deep lines etched in her face, making her seem suddenly far older.

"Barely," Suzuno answered. She yawned, and looked over to where Chiho lay. The girl was curled on her side facing away from the pair, and from the slow, soft sighs she gave, it was clear she was still asleep. It was the same position they'd found Chiho in when they entered the room again last night, though at that time Emi could tell she'd only been pretending. It had been heartbreaking when, after Chiho and Emi had wordlessly turned out the lights and lied down on their own futons, Emi heard the quiet sniffs Chiho was trying so hard to muffle.

Both woman locked eyes at the same time. It was obvious Suzuno knew exactly what Emi was going to say, but she said it anyways.

"We should never have let her come with us." Emi's voice was low.

"We couldn't have known what we were heading towards," Suzuno countered immediately.

"All the more reason to send her away."

"Even if she'd known what she was going to see when we arrived, I think she would have insisted on accompanying us. In fact, that would have only convinced her. And once Chiho-dono's mind is made up, there's nothing that can stop her." Suzuno's words carried a note of pride for their friend. "She's rather incredible, like that."

Emi smiled, silently conceding her loss, and not entirely bitter about it. "She is," she agreed.

All at once, it seemed her feelings from the previous night chose that moment to crash down about her, and her smile dropped like a stone as her head buzzed from the rush. At the thought of that night's events, and subsequently the dreadful deadline to come, Emi's stomach churned in a mixture of anxiety and anger, and she adopted a cold, dangerous look.

"Say, Suzuno..." she said slowly, and Suzuno's back straightened at the seriousness of her tone. "...have you put any thought into who our attacker might be? If it's another angel, then..."

"It might not be another angel," Suzuno replied. "Though it is very likely Lucifer-dono's attacker is an angel from Heaven, we must also consider the possibility that it was someone else."

"You said yourself those knives looked like weapons from Heaven in the Church's Archives."

"I did, but I have also never seen those knives before. They could very well have been stolen from somewhere, or given to a human by the Church itself."

"Hmm..." Emi wasn't convinced, but she couldn't ignore the possibility that Suzuno was right. "In that case, I need to make a call to someone."

She slid out from under her covers and padded over to her bag. "8:00," she said aloud when she checked her phone. She glanced over at Suzuno. "Say, do you think Chiho's mom is okay with her staying later?"

"I'm not sure. Shall we wake her?"

Emi hesitated. "I don't know," she answered with a troubled frown. "For one thing, she was up pretty late last night. For another..."

All she had to do was look at the wall separating their room from the demons'. Suzuno bit the inside of her cheek as her chest squeezed at the memory of those painful cries from within.

"...In any case, we'll let her sleep. I'm going to change, then make my call," Emi mumbled, and Suzuno nodded.

"Then I'll begin breakfast soon. I think we're all going to need it."

"You don't have to—"

"Have we not known each other long enough yet that I may do this without protest?" Emi was cut off, yet again, by Suzuno's polite yet firm interjection. "If you want the logic, then I will be happy to oblige. But I think I can get along just fine with saying I think we all need it, and I'm glad to do it."

Emi grimaced. This was starting to become an unpleasant trend...

The two tried to change as quietly as they could. It was uncomfortable dressing back in yesterday's clothes, but Emi preferred them over restricting kimono. She nearly fell trying to get on her stockings and almost crashed into a pile of pots on the counter, earning a reprimanding look from Suzuno, but overall the affair was near-silent.

They froze, startled, when a cellphone suddenly began to go off, the up-tempo ringtone chiming loudly. They glared at each other accusingly, but before they could point fingers, Chiho gave a soft moan and stirred. As both women winced and tried not to move, Chiho reached for the phone next to her pillow and drew herself to a half-sitting position. She blinked sleepily at the caller ID.

"Oh...it's my mom."

Emi and Suzuno gaped as Chiho, apparently not having yet noticed her two roommates, flipped open the phone and sat up all the way, drawing her knees close to her chest. "Hi, mom. Yeah, I'm all right. Just a little tired." She yawned, as if to emphasize the point. "No, I just woke up."

Though her face was hidden by her hair, they could tell what question had been asked next by how she lowered her face closer to her knees, her voice grew quieter, and she mumbled, "...Yeah, he's okay. It was...kinda scary last night, but...I think it's all going to be okay now."

Suddenly it seemed very inappropriate to be listening in. Emi motioned to Suzuno to grab her attention, then jerked her head towards the door. _Outside,_ she mouthed.

Suzuno obeyed instantly, and both women exited silently. All the while Chiho never acknowledged them, still speaking softly on the phone. The door clicked shut, and they stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"I suppose breakfast is going to wait a bit," Emi said lamely.

"Mmm." Suzuno's eyes were downcast. "In any case, you ought to make your call soon before you forget."

"Y-yeah..." While Suzuno went to stand off to the side, just out of earshot, Emi dialed a strange number and held the phone a considerable distance from her ear, taking a deep breath in preparation.

 _Rrrrriiiiiiiing. Rrrrrriiiiiiiiing. Rrrr - *click!*_

 _"EMILIAAAAA~!"_

 _"Shhhhh!_ " Emi took several hasty steps away from the door when the astonishingly loud squeal came through the device. Suzuno raised her eyebrows, but Emi was too flustered to notice. "Not so loud, Emeralda."

" _Sooooorry. It's just so nice when you caaaaall, I miss you, you knoooooow! It's only been a week, though, you could have waited looooooonger. But don't worry, I'm glad you called nooooooooow! So how've you beeeeeen? How's work? Are the potions working okaaaaay? Are you calling because of the Gate openings?"_

"The potions are working fi - wait, what Gate openings?"

 _"Ummmmm, wellllll, since about a month ago, Gates have opened up, you know, and I just wanted to make sure you were okaaaaaaay."_

"A month ago...Oh." Emi let out a breath and calmed her rising apprehension, very relieved to have an answer to give. "That was Gabriel, the archangel. He came with a few angels and attacked us without warning, trying to get Alas=Ramus."

" _Reeeeeeally?! How awful! Is everything okaaaaay? It sounds okay, since you sound so calm."_

"Y-yeah, we managed to take care of it, though just barely..."

 _"I can't believe you've been having all these problems, geeeeeze. We've had a lot of problems with the Church too, but I didn't think they'd send another angel so quicklyyyyy."_

"It looks like they don't want to waste any time. We were attacked again," Emi replied gravely. She explained all that had transpired the previous night, the weapons that had been found, and the message.

 _"...Geeze, they're really giving you a hard time."_ Emeralda adopted a far more serious tone, leaving off her usual drawl. _"Are you sure it wasn't Gabriel or Sariel?"_

"Crestia Bell is pretty sure," Emi said, shooting a glance to said Inquisitor. "Listen...do you have any idea what could be causing Lucifer's wounds to stay open like that?"

" _I have a few theories, but none of them would probably apply to an angel, even a fallen one. Whatever this is, it's probably something very advanced, understood by only angels themselves. And I might have more access to the Church's archives than any person on Ente Isla, but even the Church has severe limitations on their knowledge of anything concerning the angels. They've always been pretty secretive."_

"The Church, or the angels?"

 _"Does it matter?"_

"I suppose not..." If this was the best she was going to get out of Emeralda, then this situation was going to be harder than she thought. Thinking, she tried a different question.

"Have you heard of anything like those knives in the Church's Sacred Archives or something like that?"

 _"Hmmmmmmmm...It's true we have several weapons made of Holy steel here in the Church Archives, but I haven't heard of a Holy Steel knife made with Demon's Frost. In fact, this is the first I've ever heard of something like that."_

"Are you sure?"

 _"I'm pretty sure I would know if something like those knives were kept by the Church."_

"They could have kept them undocumented."

 _"Emiliaaaaaa, don't insult meeeee, I don't think anything like secret archives would be kept from someone like me, you knoooooooow."_

Emeralda, of course, was subtly referring to her spy network. As the highest-ranking official in Ente Isla, she knew many secrets from her job alone, and to any other person it would have sounded as if Emi were questioning Emeralda's power in her position. But Emi had guessed from their previous conversation that her friend had an underground group as well, and if Emeralda was sure of herself, Emi was foolish to doubt her.

 _Then it really must be another angel..._ Somehow, this made her feel a little better. Though the angels were no doubt difficult opponents, it was somewhat reassuring to have an enemy they were familiar with.

 _"By the way, what did you say the markings were again?"_ Emerelda asked suddenly.

"Huh? Markings? I—I didn't…"

"Emi-dono, if I may." Suzuno swiftly approached, holding out a hand. Emi handed over the phone without protest.

"Hello, is this Emerelda-dono? This is Crestia Bell." A moment passed where it seemed Emerelda had greeted her warmly, yet inserted a cheerful, subtle threat, for Suzuno followed with, "Yes, the very same. Thank you. Yes…I'll certainly keep that in mind." She gave a friendly yet false smile.

Just when Emi started to worry she might have to snatch her phone back again, Suzuno turned away, and said, "I unfortunately could not understand any of the markings, though I know I've seen a few of them before, but I can say they seemed almost like a language, though I cannot be sure. Several of them look like circles with various designs in them. I do know that I've only ever seen them on weapons of Heaven." There was a pause, then she replied, "Yes, that's right. I think-"

She cut off, listening, then, to Emi's surprise, furrowed her eyebrows and stammered, "Y-yes, how did you know?" She was silent for several seconds, during which Emi could see her mood had changed to one of stunned, yet rapt attention.

"Enochian? A-are you sure?"

 _Enochian?_ The language of the angels…Emi had only heard of it a few times during her training. Nobody on Ente Isla spoke it, save for the highest clerics who used a few words in their prayers. Emi waited in anticipation for Suzuno to start translating it, yet the former Inquisitor never did, instead sighing in disappointment. "I see…No, you have been most helpful. Yes, of course."

She handed the phone back to Emi. "Hello, Emerelda?"

 _"Say, Emilia, I just wanted to tell you, if you ever need us, Albert and I would drop everything and go over there to join you. We're not too busy to help out our friend, you know."_

Emi smiled. "I know, Emerelda. But I think it might be better if we involved as few people as we can."

 _"Suuuuuure, okaaaaay. Just wanted to check. Take caaaaaaaare, good luuuuuuck, tell me how it turns out, okaaaaaaay?"_

"I will." Emi hung up.

Suzuno came closer. "Well?" she asked.

Emi tapped the phone against her hand. "Unfortunately, she knows less than we could use." She relayed all that Suzuno had missed from the conversation.

"I see. I'm surprised even the great Emerelda did not recognize such a unique object."

"What did she tell you?"

"Not much, unfortunately. She seemed to recognize one of the circles, a strange symbol with the picture of a moon and a star, though she doesn't know what it means. All she knows is that it's been found on Holy Weapons before."

"Holy weapons...hmm..."

Suzuno passed her a mysterious look. "Emilia-dono, in light of this information, I believe there is someone else we should ask."

Emi's mouth slid up in a smirk. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Right at that moment, the door to Suzuno's apartment slid open, and a fully-dressed, wide-awake Chiho stepped out, carrying her bag over her shoulder.

"Chiho-chan! I didn't expect you'd be up already. Are you going home now?"

"No, I'm going with you."

Both Emi and Suzuno raised their eyebrows, and Suzuno repeated, "Going...with us?"

"Mm-hmm." Chiho adjusted her bag. "You're going to talk to Maou-san about what you just heard, right? Plus you still need to come up with a plan. I want to be in on it too."

"Well actually..." She had been planning to pay a visit to that perverted angel, Sariel, and make him translate the symbols on the knife. But Chiho was right, they did need to think up a plan. But in her condition...Frankly, though she seemed wide awake, Chiho looked positively worn thin. Her hair wasn't fully combed and lines far beyond her age had deepened in her face, and she looked a little pale and sunken. "Are you certain? I mean..."

Chiho gave a small smile. "I'm fine, Yusa-san. Urushihara's all right, so I don't have to worry so much. Besides, I want to be there with you all today. I may not be able to do much, but I can't just sit at my home not helping."

"Chiho-dono…" It was clear Suzuno tried to phrase her words politely. "We appreciate your resolve, but you could be in far more danger if you involve yourself further. This angel seems more dangerous than the ones we've encountered before…."

"No, actually, I think she should come along."

Suzuno shot a glare at Emi. "You're not supposed to be encouraging her! I'm trying to keep her safe here!" She didn't see the pouting look on Chiho's face, nor heard the small mutter of "I'm not a kid…"

Emi took Suzuno by the arm and walked a few paces down the hall, lowering her voice so that Chiho wouldn't hear. "This angel has dealt us a threat. Since Gabriel's return to Heaven, we don't know how much he's told the other angels, nor how much this angel knows now. For all we know, everyone we know is a target, which means like it or not, Chiho's involved already. If Chiho remains at her home, she could be far more vulnerable. I don't think any of us should be alone until this whole thing is resolved."

Suzuno frowned, but seemed convinced. Emi smiled, and went back to Chiho's side. "All right, Chiho, you're with us," she said brightly.

The gratitude that lit up Chiho's face seemed to chase away all her worries and stress. "All right!" she said energetically.

"Actually, it'll just be the two of you. I shall remain here." Suzuno walked past them towards Maou's doorway, or where it used to be.

"What? But didn't I just say—?"

"Yes, we must remain together, to protect one another. That is exactly what I am doing. I trust you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, Alas=Ramus-dono, and Chiho-dono should anything happen. But those demons in there are as weak as humans can get. Someone has to remain with them while their energy returns. If I need you, I'll call your phone or send a Mental Transmission." She tapped her left temple.

Emi appeared greatly amused at the mention of how helpless the demons were. But she merely replied, "All right. We'll be back before you know it. In the meantime, try not to let that useless NEET die, okay?"

With far less empathy than one would expect for a friend who had nearly died the night before, Suzuno nodded and said, "Of course. But with his lazy nature, it might be difficult to tell if he's actually dying or just lying around."

The women shared a good chuckle at that. But silently understood by the three, there was a hollowness to the sound, as if they were making an effort to believe those words.

"I guess we'll get breakfast on our own. Thanks for the offer, though."

"Of course."

"Okay. You two go on ahead, I just thought of something I need to take care of."

Emi closed her eyes. **Alas=Ramus?**

 _ **Yes, Mommy?**_

 **I'm sorry, dear, but I have to let you know. Angels are here again. They want you. You know what that means, don't you?**

She felt Alas nod vigorously, and she saw a mental picture of her daughter making a face of disgust. _**Bad, mean angels. I'll beat 'em up, like I beat Gab'rel up!**_

Emi winced. This child was getting violent... **I want to beat them up too, but I want you to stay in here, okay? These angels could be stronger, and I don't want you out until I say so, okay?**

 _ **I'll help you beat 'em up, Mommy!**_

 **N-no, Alas. I don't want to risk you getting captured, so you stay in here. Stay here for Mommy, okay? If we have to fight, then we'll fight. But for now, just find the best hiding spot you can, and hide there until I say so, okay?**

 _ **Hide...in here?**_

 **Yes, just hide in here. Like when we played Hide and Seek. Remember how good you were at Hide and Seek?**

 _ **Yeah! Okay!**_ She felt Alas begin to disappear, but then her daughter returned, and asked, _**Mommy?**_

 **Yes, Alas?**

 _ **Did Lucifer wake up yet?**_

 **...No, Alas, not yet.**

 _ **Oh.**_ Somehow, Emi got the feeling her daughter understood just what that meant. _**When he wakes up, will you tell me?**_

 **Of course I will, sweetie.**

Alas smiled, and withdrew. Soon Emi could feel no trace of her within her mind. Hopefully she was hidden away enough so that even if someone tried, they couldn't remove her. Opening her eyes, she saw the other two waiting expectantly by the hole to the demons' apartment. She joined them, and they entered, where Suzuno retrieved a knife from the top of the refrigerator. "Here. Good luck."

"Please. You might be the notorious Inquisitor, but I did my fair share of interrogations during the war," Emi smirked. "Let's go, Chiho."

"Hey, Yusa-san, where's Maou-san?"

The other two turned around to look. There was Ashiya, still snoring on the book he'd fallen on the previous night. Urushihara lay in the same position as well, and he looked remarkably better than before. But true to Chiho's words, Maou was nowhere to be found. The bathroom door was open and dark. There wasn't a chance Maou was in the closet, that was Urushihara's territory, but Suzuno checked anyways.

"He wouldn't have gone out and left his generals, especially with Lucifer-dono like this," she said, closing the empty closet door. "Not unless..." She locked eyes with Chiho, and all three women understood exactly at the same time.

"You think...?"

" _Ughh,_ that _workaholic..._ "

"I knew Sadao-dono valued his job above all else, but at a time like this, you'd think he'd be more considerate..."

"No, there has to have a reason," Chiho said firmly. "Maou-san does care about his work a lot, but he cares about his family more. If he's gone out, he'll have some reason for doing it."

The other two considered her words. "I'm always amazed by the amount of faith you have in him, Chiho-dono," Suzuno said with a soft smile.

Chiho immediately blushed furiously. "H-H-He's just my friend, that's all! Of course I believe in him! I mean, you two do also, don't you?"

Suzuno chuckled. "True," she conceded. "Emilia-dono? Is something wrong?"

Emi, for some reason, had a very strange expression on her face. It was like she was trying very hard to hide a laugh, while at the same time struggling to keep down something sour. "No," she answered simply. "Come on, Chiho. If you're right then likely we'll run into him when we get to that angel."

"A-all right!" Chiho ran to catch up when Emi strode out of the apartment, trying not to let anyone see the red touching her cheeks.

* * *

"After that, we went to see that pervy angel, Sariel. Maou was there, too, I'm guessing for the same reason. We got him to translate the symbols on the knife, and we think we know who attacked Lucifer. It's Raphael, an archangel of the highest hierarchy, same as Gabriel."

" _Raphael?_ " Suzuno was stunned. "You're certain?"

"You know the angel?"

"Not exactly, but in our records, he's said to be among the greatest benefactors to humans. He's a healer, a messenger. Why would he be after the fragments?"

"Same reason as everybody else?" Though Emi didn't mean to, in her frustration the sentence came out more condescending than she would have liked. "I think it's been established by now that angels aren't benefactors to anything but themselves. He's an angel from Heaven, and he's after the Yesod shards. By this point we need to spend less time asking why and more time just stopping them."

Suzuno looked like she wanted to argue more, but thought better of it. Instead, she asked, "How did you know Lucifer-dono's been poisoned?"

"Sariel told us." Emi crossed her arms. "I didn't want to at first, but when it looked like Sariel might be able to help with Lucifer's condition, we told him everything."

* * *

 _The little Sentucky restaurant was silent_ for a good while after Maou, Emi, and Chiho finished explaining all that had happened to Sariel. Emi could feel herself getting antsy the longer the minutes ticked on, the sound of the clock an irritating reminder of their deadline steadily approaching. Meanwhile, Sariel in all of his pudgy self just sat there, arms crossed and eyes closed in a pose that would have looked serious if not for the baby-like bulges in his cheeks.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore. "Well? Do you have something to tell us or not?" she snapped.

"I'm trying to think of the best way to word it!" Sariel replied hastily, opening his eyes.

"It doesn't have to be a poem! Just spit it out!"

"The best poems take time! I mean, I'm not writing a poem, what kind of angel do you think I am? A Muse?"

"Stop it, you two!" Chiho's sharp command rang out, and both parties died down. Chiho stood from her chair, an uncharacteristically angry expression on her face. "Did you forget we don't have time for this? We should be focusing on helping Urushihara, not fighting with each other!"

Emi and Sariel both looked down sheepishly, while Maou merely hid a wry grin. Chiho sat down again, looking for all the world like a stern mother who just scolded her children.

"Now say what you wanted to say, and be quick about it," she ordered.

"Like I tried to say, it's not that simple," Sariel replied vehemently. "I have hardly any medical expertise, that was all Raphael's field, his and his underlings the Miracle Workers. I can't be sure I'm pointing you in the right direction. But if Raphael really is the one that attacked Lucifer and left that Carver on his chest, then there's a chance he slipped something else in as well."

"Elaborate," Maou said, his tone growing irritated when Sariel didn't say anything further.

Sariel adopted that strange disturbed look again. "Well, like I said, Raphael experimented a lot. As the leading medical archangel, he dealt with a lot of herbs and chemicals. Some were medical, some weren't, but a lot were poisonous. He had the habit of disguising himself to go down to Ente Isla and slipping things into unsuspecting human's foods in order to find out their effect, and sometimes when he operated, back when he still did surgery, he occasionally introduced a 'new serum' to help the patient recover quicker. If the patient died, he'd blame it on their age, their injuries being too great, their weak will to live, anything but himself. But sometimes after receiving these 'serums' the patient would be really slow to recover, or else not recover at all."

Sariel let that sentence hang, and a sense of foreboding filled in the silence. Emi reached the conclusion at the same time Maou did, but it was the Demon King who voiced it, in a dangerous growl tinged with a note of panic.

"Are you saying Urushihara's been _poisoned_?"

Sariel winced. "It's just a _possibility..._ There's no way of knowing just from speculation, of course..."

"Don't give us that bullshit," Emi spat. Poisoned...This was just getting worse by the minute. "You know exactly what's going on, just like you knew what was going on before, and you _still_ let it happen! You didn't care about humans enough to give a damn, did you? That's almost worse than anything that Raphael bastard could have done!"

"Now look, I've been patient with you, but when you go throwing around accusations like that, I'm going to have to get serious!"

The rest of the angel's threat was drowned out by the sound of metal scraping on stone as Maou stood. Wordlessly the Demon King strode over to the angel, and ignoring the pathetic noises of protest, he seized the angel by the collar and jerked him ungracefully to the floor. Sariel cried out when he smacked against the unforgiving tile, but this was short-lived as Maou began dragging him towards the door.

"Maou!" Both Emi and Chiho rose as well, but neither were keen on directly interfering. At least, not yet.

" _W-w-wait, what are you doing?!_ " Sariel choked and scrabbled fruitlessly at Maou's hold.

"I've heard enough. You're coming with us." Maou didn't look back.

"W-what? Why?"

"You're going to fix Lucifer."

"I—I already said I don't know how to fix him! I'm not a medical officer or anything like that! What makes you think I can do anything?"

Maou bared his pointed teeth. "You're the only angel we can dare to trust in this damn world, and you're the best shot we have at finding a cure for him."

Somehow Sariel managed to twist around to look up at the dark-haired man. "Are you sure it's wise to trust me? What if...What if I decide to kill him instead?"

It was the gutsiest move Emi had heard him make all day. It actually did make Maou stop, and for a scary few seconds he simply stood there, Sariel's uniform still trapped in his iron grip.

Sariel yelped when he was suddenly jerked around, and Maou's glowing red eyes filled his vision. He felt an icy chill fixate his body to the ground, and any further noises died in his throat. Maou's glare was terrifyingly hypnotic; it was like being trapped in the gaze of a cobra, poised to strike.

" _You try, achleicht, and I'll flay you alive with your own scythe._ "

As Sariel's eyes widened, Maou jabbed two fingers swiftly and sharply into the side of his neck. The angel made a short choking sound before his eyes rolled up and he fell limp as a rag doll in Maou's arms.

"What did you _do?_ " Now Emi and Chiho ran forward, coming to a stop besides Maou as he picked up the unconscious angel and threw him over his shoulder.

"This is just easier," Maou answered simply, and turned on his heel to walk out of the building.

* * *

"We came straight back here. I've never seen him so furious," Chiho finished for Emi. She looked positively mournful. Ashiya appeared solemn, while Suzuno let out a heavy sigh.

Emi, on the other hand, scowled and crossed her arms. "He's just throwing a tantrum. He's never had to be worried about someone before, so he's acting without thinking," she said roughly.

"Yusa-san, how can you say such a thing?!" Chiho demanded, shocked.

"How dare you speak of Maou-sama in such a manner!" Ashiya exclaimed.

"This is war, dammit!" Emi exclaimed, slamming a fist into the ground. "Casualties happen! What you do is pull yourself together and think about what to do next! You don't let your emotions cloud your judgement and let you do rash actions! If you do, then it's over for you!"

No one seemed to have the energy or the will to counter her. Ashiya just looked away disgustedly, while Chiho clasped her hands in her lap and blinked back tears.

Seeing that, Emi grew uncomfortable, and began to regret her outburst. But before she could apologize, Suzuno spoke up. "Emilia-dono, something's been bothering me for some time."

"What?"

"Well, I'm not sure how else to put this, but there's something about Lucifer-dono's wounds that just doesn't make sense."

* * *

"What doesn't make sense?" Maou asked Sariel. The angel had his hands, which were glowing, over Urushihara's bare torso. The blankets had been set aside and his shirt had been pulled up so that Sariel could effectively examine him. Maou sat next to him, his back against the closet door.

"You say Raphael is the one who did this to him?"

"Yeah, why?"

Sariel frowned. "Well, aside from the lacerations, I've determined roughly that he's got multiple fractures in his ribcage, and ruptures in both his muscles and a couple of his organs. They've mostly healed up, but from the fresh scar tissue everywhere, it looks like before Lucifer got the Carver he was beaten up pretty badly. And though Raphael's an archangel of the highest heirarchy, and therefore pretty strong physically, beating up his opponents just isn't his style."

Maou's expression hardened. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I think there's another angel involved."

He looked up to see Maou glaring daggers at him, and immediately sputtered, "Not me, not me! Do you think I could beat up anyone like this, anyways?"

Maou didn't let up his expression, but he turned his gaze to another part of the room. "Soldiers, then? His subordinates?"

"Raphael doesn't keep soldiers by his side. He thinks they're a nuisance."

"Then who?"

"I don't know. All I'm telling you is that I think you should be on the lookout for others."

"How generous of you."

"It _is_ generous of me! You don't know what it means that I'm telling you any of this at all!" Sariel sniffed, unaware that Maou had already stopped paying attention.

A few minutes passed. "What does _achleicht_ mean, anyways? It's not anything I've ever heard."

For the first time since Maou stormed into his restaurant, the Demon King lifted his lip in a smirk, showing one pointed canine. "I'm not sure you want to know," he said slyly. "It's a demonic insult, after all."

Though Sariel got a _very_ uncomfortable feeling from that answer, he sat a little straighter (as much as his chubby self would allow) and replied, "Hmph. You think I'm so innocent I wouldn't be able to handle your vile script? We angels might be pure, but we're certainly not _children._ No matter how filthy your demon language might be, it certainly won't bother _me_."

Maou raised his eyebrows. "You're sure?"

"Try me."

Maou gave a leering grin, and leaned forward. "Then come closer. I'll have to whisper it."

An icy shiver ran down Sariel's spine, and he suddenly found himself beginning to regret this entire thing, but there was no backing out now. Maou opened his mouth, and said...

* * *

" _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGHHHHHHHH!"_

The four in Suzuno's apartment looked up sharply. "What was that?" Suzuno demanded.

"It came from Maou's place!" Emi shot to her feet and bolted out the door, the others right behind her.

"Maou! What's going on?! Is Raphael back?" Emi stopped short at the doorway, and the others piled up behind her, gaping at the sight before them. "...What's wrong with Sariel?"

The angel had collapsed to the ground and was apparently out cold, though for some reason there was an expression of great horror on his face.

Maou shrugged from where he sat, a look of casual disappointment on his face as he gazed out the window. "Don't worry, everything's fine. He's just a little too innocent, is all."

"This isn't the time to be playing around," Suzuno admonished, pushing her way past Emi and kneeling besides Urushihara. "Has Sariel found the poison?"

"I don't know. I'll ask him." Maou nudged Sariel roughly. "Hey, wake up. You still have a job to do."

The angle only replied with a gurgle.

Maou looked down, fury growing quickly over his features. He got to his feet, and before everyone's astonished eyes, kicked hard at Sariel. "I said _wake up, dammit_! If you don't, I'll make it so that you'll be checking your own body for poison next!"

That was the last straw for Emi. She felt no urge to protest in sake of Sariel (rather she actually enjoyed the whole spectacle), but it was still so unlike Maou to do such a thing that she was striding forward without even realizing it.

 _What are you saying, Emi?_ A faraway voice whispered in her mind. _He's the_ Demon King. _This is_ exactly _the kind of thing he'd do. In fact, it's surprising he didn't do more._

But that just didn't sit right with her. So she strode up to him, saying, "Maou."

When the he turned to look, in front of everyone, she slapped him, hard.

The room echoed with the blow in face of stunned silence. Maou's head was cracked to the side, eyes widened and a hand print-shaped mark rapidly growing red on his face. Both Chiho and Ashiya had their hands to their mouths, and Suzuno only gaped with her mouth open.

"Outside. Now." Emi could barely speak. Without even waiting for an answer she pushed past the others and headed for the stairwell. She flew down the steps, barely feeling her feet touch the corrugated metal in her anger. She stopped herself a good ways away from the stairwell, crossing her arms and tapping her foot to control her shaking.

It only a minute or so when she heard Maou tromping down the walk. She heard his footsteps touch the dirt and slowly come closer to her, coming to a halt at what sounded like only a few feet away. She didn't even turn to look at him. She wasn't sure she could control her actions if she did.

She waited until she was sure she could speak without her throat tightening up before she said anything. Surprisingly, Maou was silent as well, but this didn't register at first.

"I know you're the Demon King, and I know Sariel's a pompous featherball, but you're still acting off." Emi swallowed, and took a deep breath. When she spoke again, her voice was steadier. "The Maou I know now would have been irritated, but he still wouldn't have made threats like that. He _certainly_ wouldn't have thrown a cheap kick like that."

"You're one to talk," Maou said back. His voice was calmer than she expected. "The Emi _I_ know wouldn't have brought Chiho out to the restaurant like you did, when we've got the threat of another angel over our heads."

"She insisted on coming. And you know what she's like when she's insistent."

"That shouldn't matter. This is an occasion when we need to prioritize safety over personal feelings."

"And aren't you just the _epitome of hypocrisy!_ " Now Emi whipped around, pulling out a dagger and flinging it straight for Maou's head. He tilted it to the side, and it just barely grazed his cheek as it flew past him to embed itself into the wall of the house. She ignored this and strode forward, and she didn't care if there were tears in her eyes, she was so furious she even forgot about the original threat of Raphael. Right now, all that mattered was cracking through that _thick, asenine, ignorant-as-hell demon skull!_

"How dare you! How _dare_ you! You talk of how I put Chiho in danger by bringing her here, but _you_ went out alone, in that pitiful human body of yours, out in the open with nothing to back you up in case something happened! And I know you wanted to interrogate Sariel, but what in _hell_ made you think it was a good idea to go by yourself? _Revenge?_ You're angry, but that doesn't mean you put yourself out there like bait on a silver platter to challenge the enemy! What the hell happened to the Demon King? What happened to the master strategist, the demon that almost conquered the entirety of Ente Isla in under a decade? You're acting rash and immature, when you need to think things through! And if you keep this up, someone else is going to get hurt for sure! So get your head out of your ass, and _get your shit together!_ "

Emi glared at him, waiting for his reply, her breaths heaving. Maou's eyes were shadowed, his head having bowed during her rant. She could feel her anger bleeding out of her, most of it put into that speech, but a flame still fumed in the pit of her chest.

"...Yeah, I'm angry," Maou finally said, his voice shaking. Emi's eyes furrowed at the sound of it. "I'm furious. I'm _seething._ It's only been twelve hours, but in that time, my general's been attacked, my family and friends have been threatened, angels are once again after my daughter, there's a new hole in my wall that's going to cost even more to fix, and to top it all off Lucifer could now be dying! But you want to know what the worst part is?!"

His head flew upwards, and Emi actually jerked back at the ferocious look in his red eyes. He took several steps forward, and Emi found herself stumbling away, all of her warrior instincts screaming at her to put distance between herself and this raging demon. But she forced herself to stand her ground. He stopped only a foot away from her, his expression dark and furious.

"The worst part is," he said quietly, dangerously, " _I can't do a damn thing about it._ I'm your king. I'm supposed to take care of you all, watch over you, make sure none of you get hurt. It's my _job,_ and I can't even do that. I can only pretend to keep my cool, pretend I know what I'm doing, and just _hope_ that things work out in my favor. But as it turned out last night, even that doesn't work anymore! I've got _nothing_ , no plan, and barely any magic to call an asset. One of my subordinates is _dying,_ and any one of you could be next! _**Liwe ze xepnex**!_ "

Emi was shocked. Never did she think a demon, much less Maou, would use that curse. In Ente Isla, it referred to a story told around a campfire. A happy woman met and fell in love with a man, and for a while they were content with two children, until demons raided their village and he was killed. Forced to flee with her children, she roamed from place to place seeking refuge, her misfortunes only growing. It ended with one child dying from disease and malnutrition, and the other killed by bandits. As the bandit leader prepared to kill her as well, she screamed her despair and fury in a single curse.

Life be damned.

Her anger fell away, and for a brief instant she saw, not her mortal foe, the Demon King, but a human man, desperate and afraid.

"Humans," Maou continued in a murmur, as if reading her thoughts. Like her, his fury seemed to have fled, leaving a sorrowful shell. "This body...you're right. It's pitiful. It's worthless and weak. It gets sick and hurt so easily, I'm amazed you managed to come out on top over all the other species on this planet. All I can do is put myself out there as bait and hope the rest of you aren't picked out instead. It was worthless when Gabriel arrived. How can I expect to do any better with this?"

In all honesty, a part of her reveled in the sight. A part that was still the Hero of Ente Isla. How long had she imagined, _hoped,_ this moment? Her enemy, broken and practically on his knees before her. He was at the end of his line, at least in terms of patience and mental energy. If he had been this way back when they faced each other in his castle, such a long time ago, it seemed, and yet not very long ago at all, he would have been finished right then and there. She could have finished him of now.

She should have finished him.

If only he didn't look so...human.

"You can't," she admitted quietly, "not as you are now."

Maou cast his eyes downward, and he gave a mirthless snort. "Hn. Now that we've agreed on that, shall we stop wasting time and go back inside?"

He started to walk away, and Emi let him. She grit her teeth, and bowed her head.

Then she flung her head up and yelled, "MORON! LET ME FINISH TALKING BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE LIKE THAT!"

Maou halted yet again, but he didn't turn around. The way he tilted his head back slightly, though, told Emi he was listening.

"You can't defeat Raphael as you are now," she repeated. "Not alone, no. So let us help out! We're all involved in this anyways, this Raphael's threatened the rest of us just as much as he has you and Alas. That's why you went out on your own, right?"

She'd realized it even as her previous speech had ended and her mind cooled. Maou only confirmed it when he whipped around in surprise, and a part of her felt bad for speaking so hotheadedly.

"You wanted to protect us. So you put yourself out into the open without telling any of us, hoping that if anything happened while you were questioning Sariel, the enemy would focus on you first. Even if you couldn't do anything to fight back, at least we'd get a head start."

Maou looked away, feeling foolish at having been found out. But he jerked his head up again when Emi followed with, "If that's the case, then you're an even _bigger_ idiot than before!"

Emi closed the distance between them, making a show of putting one hand to her temple. "I understand if you want to involve as few people as possible, Maou, but like it or not, we're all involved in this anyways. We were from the moment Raphael made that threat. You _need_ us, Maou. Separating the group isn't going to make us stronger, it's just asking to be delivered into the hands of the enemy. So rely on us, and we'll do whatever you need us to do."

For a long while Maou didn't speak. He simply stared, his face blank, expressionless except for his widened eyes. Emi fidgeted under the gaze. "Well? Say something! Don't just stand there gaping like a dumb freak!"

Slowly, a grin spread across the demon's mouth, and he gave a chuckle, a real, mirthful laugh. Emi felt blood rush to her cheeks. "What are you laughing at?" she demanded, as his laughter got louder. "Y-You're starting to freak me out even more! Stop it, you sound like a mainiac!"

"S-sorry, it's just..." Maou coughed and cleared his throat as his tremors subsided. "...well, I didn't expect you to have such faith in me."

" _WHAT?_ " Emi could have shattered windows with that pitch.

Maou raised an eyebrow. "'Rely on us, and we'll do whatever you need us to do'? I'm surprised, Hero. I thought you wouldn't have believed the Demon King would care so much."

His expression softened, and a distant look came into his eye. "You really trust me after all, huh?"

Emi, if possible, blushed even darker. " _H-how dare you think such a thing?!_ " she squeaked in a rage. "I-I'm just choosing my enemies for this battle, is all! After we deal with this threat, I'm still definitely going to defeat you!"

"Fine. When the time comes, I'll gladly meet you head-on." Emi lost her energy at that, not expecting such a determined reaction. That cocky, toothy grin was back, and a new light gleamed in his crimson orbs. "But for now, lend me your strength, Hero. An angel's threatened our daughter, and what kind of parents would we be if we didn't protect her together?"

Emi blinked, before smirking and placing a hand on her hip. "Pretty worthless parents, that's for sure."

The sun was setting, bringing a reddish tinge to the wispy clouds above, and a wind blew up a few dead leaves between them. The Hero and the Demon King stood in the dying light, something new forged between them, though whether it was temporary or not, only events would tell.

 _What's with this dramatic atmosphere?_ Emi wondered, feeling embarrassment trickle down the back of her head. _Like some shonen manga or something..._

But she didn't say anything. They stood in silence, an unspoken agreement floating between them.

The moment shattered when Chiho's urgent voice called from the railing.

"Maou-san! Yusa-san! Come quick! It's Urushihara!"

* * *

Sirens wailed as an ambulance sped down the highway. Inside, two paramedics were prepping a stretcher.

"What have we got?" asked Emiko, a brown-haired middle-aged woman.

"Emergency call from the Sasazuka village. Young male, 18, seizure, plus multiple fractures. Apparently the guy was in a fight." Her partner, Sai, a dark-haired man in his late twenties, answered as he steadied the stretcher as the ambulance went over a bump.

"Fights cause a seizure? Since when?"

"I'm no diagnostician. We'll figure it out when he's in the hospital."

The ambulance made a turn into an empty yard in front of a wooden, villa-looking apartment. When the two paramedics threw open the doors, a tall blond man and a young girl were waiting for them.

"Thank goodness," the girl breathed, running to meet them. She looked ready to cry. "We're the ones who called. He's inside, please hurry!"

"His convulsions stopped before you arrived, but he's been unconscious since then," the man said as he hurried alongside the paramedics. "We didn't know what to do..."

"It's all right, just stand aside and let us handle this," Emiko assured him with a quick smile. She and Sai rushed the stretcher up the steps and into the apartment.

Inside, a navy-haired woman in a kimono sat besides a young adolescent, who was lying limp on a futon. His eyes, half-hidden beneath shockingly purple hair, were closed, and his chest barely rose and fell. The woman rose and quickly got out of the way as the paramedics set the stretcher besides him. Emiko checked him.

"Sir? Sir, can you hear me?" she called, patting his shoulder. When he didn't respond, she pulled out an oxygen mask.

"Having trouble breathing," she stated. She opened one eye and shined a flashlight. "Get that IV up, we'll do the rest in the ambulance."

They easily loaded the teen onto the stretcher and carried him outside. Emiko nearly slipped on the old, worn staircase, causing a tense moment when it seemed she'd drop the stretcher and the patient. But she steadied herself, and they carried him the rest of the way to the ambulance.

"Is it all right if we ride with you? It's just..." The girl trailed off, her voice trembling.

"I'm his guardian," the man added.

Emiko looked quickly between them. "All right, but don't touch anything."

"Go, both of you. I shall remain here for when the others get back." The woman in the kimono spoke softly to the other two, who immediately climbed in after the paramedics.

"Is he going to be okay?" the girl asked as they slammed the doors shut. The siren began, and the ambulance rocked as it backed out of the yard.

"He'll be fine. We're taking him to the best hospital there is." Sei smiled at the girl. He listened as the radio at his shoulder crackled, and nodded.

"Copy that," he answered. "Arriving ten minutes at Wagahara General."

* * *

 **RN:** Oh, dear. I've been terribly rude to you all by making you wait this long, haven't I? I sincerely apologize. Hopefully this very long chapter makes up for it. At the very least it's a reward (or a distraction) for finals, for all you people still in school. I'll risk my identity by saying I am a college student, and so finals have been as constricting on my as they have been on everyone else, which is a big reason why this chapter took so long. Additionally, I value giving you a quality chapter above all else, and I'd rather make you wait then post something not worth your while. Regardless, it's not fair to me to leave you all hanging like this for so long a period of time, especially since you've all been marvelously patient with me, so I apologize. I promise the next chapter won't take two months to be posted.

~To my guest reviewers: I'm happy when you review, I really am. But unfortunately, if you post a review as a guest, that means I can't reply to you. Therefore, even though I'd like to immediately reply and say yes, I am alive and I'm still working on this story, please don't worry yourself into a bind, there's a big limit on how I can do that. So I'd like to request that if possible, if you have an account and want an answer from me, please log in and leave a review. If you'd rather keep your identity a secret or don't care to log in, that's fine, just don't expect me to be able to answer you if you have a question until the next chapter. On that note, thank you to all my guest reviewers, yes, I am alive, and yes, this story is going to continue until I finally get to click the "Completed" button.

~A little while ago I got four guest reviews in a row that were very nearly identical. I say nearly because there were some marked differences, as if it had been re-typed multiple times. Since they were all reviewing the same chapter, I can only guess they were four different people, unless guest reviewers have the ability to review the same chapter more than once. These reviewers gave the exact same request, so I can only guess that either I was being pranked or they really wanted that request to go through, regardless of how much they told me that it was okay if I didn't consider it (The reason I am narrating these events is because I'm really curious to know who gave me these reviews, if they were by multiple people or the same person. Again, I can't answer you back if you're a guest reviewer!). I'll tell you right now that I did consider it, not just because I treat my reviewers seriously and with respect. I welcome any and all suggestions you might have, though I might not see them all through. To my four reviewers (who may or may not be the same person), I considered your request, and my answer is we'll see. Though at first I didn't think the idea would fit, I may be able to make it work (though likely not in the way you imagined it), depending on how future chapters turn out. I'm sorry it's not a straight answer, but at least it's not a no, right?

~Obviously I have no idea how real paramedics would respond to a call like that, if they would even let people ride with them to the hospital. I hope it was believable enough.

~Love me, hate me, criticize and praise me! Your reviews are my reward, and my chapters are yours. We complete each other, you and I. Let us fuel each other to the glorious end!

Meaning, please leave me a good review :). In addition, if you do, I'll let you know what an _achleicht_ is in the next chapter.


	8. Confrontation Part 1

"Well, now, Mr. Yoshiburi, how are we feeling today?"

"Ah, Doctor. I'm feeling quite well today, quite well."

"Good, good. And your granddaughter, how is she?"

"She's doing well. She recently got the highest score in her class on a test."

"That's wonderful! She certainly sounds like quite the genius. Just turn your head for me, there we go. Now, you're here to schedule a surgery for your glaucoma, correct?"

"That's right. It's gotten worse, I'm afraid. I can barely see anything nowadays. Right now, all I see when I look at you is brown hair and glasses."

"Have you been using the eye drops I prescribed?"

"Yes, but they haven't done much…"

"Well, you won't have to worry about them much longer. Now, when were you thinking—."

The pair were interrupted when a loud commotion came from the hallway, and a trio of nurses suddenly rushed past the clinic door with a stretcher. On it laid a lithe young man with deep purple hair. He was unconscious, it seemed, and one nurse pumped an oxygen mask on his face. Though he was wheeled by too fast to see clearly, little splotches of red on his shirt flashed by.

"Doctor? Doctor?"

"Yes…sorry." The doctor stood from his stool, still breathlessly staring at the stretcher as it was taken around the corner and out of sight. "I apologize…but something's just come up. I'm afraid I have to attend to it."

"What? B-but what about my surgery?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that, Mr. Yoshiburi, I'll take care of that immediately," the doctor answered smoothly, turning back to his patient at last. "Because you see…"

He gently placed his hands on either side of the old man's head, then slid them around until his palms rested on his eyes.

"…a friend's just been admitted…"

The patient made soft noises in confusion, then let out a cry as a light suddenly shone from beneath the doctor's fingers.

"…and I'd be remiss not to pay him a visit."

The old man whimpered as the doctor lowered his hands, then blinked his eyes open. He gasped, and brought a hand to his eyes, which were as clear and gleaming as a child's.

"You…you…I can see! I can _see_! How did…what…?"

The doctor wasn't paying attention, instead leaning against the doorway and staring down the corridor. While the old man babbled on in amazement in the background, an excited grin pulled back Raphael's mouth.

"How _exciting_. It looks like things have gotten interesting at last."

* * *

 _Earlier…_

"Maou-san! Yusa-san! Come quick, it's Urushihara!"

Maou and Emi looked up sharply when Chiho's urgent voice called from the railing. Immediately the two dashed towards the house, a foreboding feeling draping over their shoulders. Emi took a moment to retrieve her knife from the wall, then jumped up, grasping the top of the stairwell. She swung herself up and over the railing and brought herself to the doorway.

A frightening sight met her eyes. Sariel, who had somehow awoken, was grim as he moved his hands, glowing with energy, over Lucifer. Besides him, Suzuno and Ashiya held down the half-angel as he fought against their hold, pained grunts escaping his throat in spurts. Though he grappled with the hands holding him down, his eyes were still shut tight.

"What happened?" Emi demanded.

"I think I found out what kind of poison was used," Sariel explained, his words in a rush. "It's _hwexmh,_ an old poison made from the venom of giant leeches of the Central Island."

"I know it." Maou knelt by Urushihara's side. "He reacted when you tried to neutralize it, right?"

"How did you…?"

"I've run into it before," Maou responded simply. "Ashiya, we've got to be ready to give him some energy—once the poison's neutralized, his energy will start dropping fast, so wait until I say. Emi, go hold his legs and get ready. This isn't going to be pleasant for him."

Emi obeyed and forced Lucifer's legs down, pressing her weight on his ankles. Suzuno took a sash from her kimono and as best she could set it between Lucifer's teeth, stopping when he started to choke.

Maou nodded to Sariel. "Okay, begin."

Sariel's hands glowed again, and circles of magic appeared over Lucifer's body. Lucifer reacted instantly; his body arched, and a muffled scream worked its way up his throat. It took all of their strength just to hold him still, and veins popped out in his neck and head as he strained.

The magic circle shone brighter, then disappeared. "It's done!" Sariel said.

"Ashiya!" Both demons let demonic energy pour from their palms and stream directly into Lucifer, who'd gone suddenly limp and pale. They gave as much as they dared, and after a full minute, they both cut off the flow and fell back, panting.

Chiho, who'd until now stayed back out of the way, tentatively stepped forward. Tears trickled down her cheeks. "Urushihara-san?" she said quietly.

Lucifer remained still.

Maou was about to call himself, when he hissed, and shuffled away a few inches. "Emi, get that thing away, would you? You're probably stalling Urushihara's healing."

Emi looked down, then stood. "Sorry," she said, and unsheathed the Demon's Frost blade in her belt, going to set it on the refrigerator.

Maou gave a sigh, rubbing his arm.

"Sariel," he said quietly, "how did you know it was _hwexmh_?"

"You told me, actually," the angel answered, to his surprise. "From what you said Lucifer was muttering in his sleep, that he felt like he was being burned. I don't know much about what poisons Raphael uses, but from the few I know only three give that effect. from there it was just a matter of testing with healing spells."

"So...is that it? Is he cured?" Emi asked.

Suzuno drew her hair back and put her head to Lucifer's chest. "His heartbeat's steady," she said in relief. "So is his breathing."

Chiho drew closer. "He's still so pale," she murmured. "Maou-san, is he…I mean…is he going to be all right?"

There was a tense silence, during which Maou never turned his gaze from his subordinate. "It's hard to tell," he admitted at last. " _Hwexmh_ is an assassin's poison, used most typically in revenge plots. The poison itself doesn't kill you, but it weakens you so that it makes you easier to murder. It's made from the venom of **_Jyalxinv leeytej,_** or Scalding leeches, so called because their venom feels like molten lead is pouring through your body if you get injected with it. They aren't very fast, so they bite you first to slow you down, and the venom keeps wounds open to weaken their prey. And if you try in any way to get the venom out, it reacts and makes you feel as if your body is set on fire. You can't move because it hurts too much, and the leeches eventually catch up."

" _Demon King_ _!_ "

Maou jerked around, and felt a wave of guilt when he saw Emi holding a rather green-looking Chiho. "Ah…I didn't mean…"

Emi gave him an affronted scowl. "Though I wouldn't expect anything more of the Demon King, you need to work on your sensitivity."

"No…I'm all right…" Despite her words, Chiho allowed herself to be slowly lowered down by Emi. "So, Maou-san…you said that 'the poison itself doesn't kill,' so does that mean…Urushihara's going to be okay?"

At that moment there was a choked sound, and Maou instantly went to grab hold of Lucifer, who'd begun to jerk on the ground again. It was a seizure, Chiho realized in horror.

"What's happening now?!" Emi left her to take Lucifer's legs again.

Maou's expression was fearful. "I don't know."

* * *

 _Now..._

The purple-haired adolescent was brought to a dense room filled with curtained-off patients and wheeled into the nearest station. The stretcher shuddered harshly to a stop, but the unconscious patient it bore paid no mind, nor to the many frenzied nurses that suddenly surrounded him like a flock of buzzards to carrion. They stripped him of his bloodied shirt and plastered him with wires, tearing away the bandages that already covered him and swathing him with their own medicines. One nurse continued to pump pure oxygen into the mask on his face, while another inserted a needle into his arm. All of it, Raphael thought as he watched on in great amusement, utterly useless.

 _If only he'd been as compliant when I'd worked with him,_ he mused, _a lot of things would have gone on a lot smoother._

But of course, he'd been an angel then. Not demon.

No, Raphael corrected himself. Not _human._

It was still a marvel to see the once greatest general, the greatest _angel_ of them all in such a pitiful state. He couldn't believe his eyes when he'd first caught sight of Lucifer. At least demons were _durable_.

Raphael narrowed his eyes as the nurses began to trickle away, revealing the barely-held-together boy underneath. Humans, on the other hand…

It was time for him to step in. "Nurse," he called out, when there was only one left, a young female with a short black ponytail. "I'll take a look at this one."

He picked up the patient chart and scanned over it. He set it down and put on his spectacles—merely for show, he boasted better eyesight than any of the other archangels—and began pulling back the patient's eyelids to shine flashlights into them and peeling back his robe. "Anything to report?"

"He was unconscious when he arrived. For the time being he's stable, respiratory rate even, but we've been unable to revive him. There've been multiple fractures to his rib cage, and lacerations on his chest that look several hours old. The lacerations look like they'd been intentionally put there by someone, so we've been thinking this patient was caught by a gang or something. None are bleeding, but we've administered antibiotics and put a clean bandage over it."

"Hmm…" Not that it mattered. At this rate, he'd be dead within the week.

"If you ask me," the nurse continued, allowing a brief moment of disgust to show, "whoever did this is seriously sick. I'd heard of people getting tortured by gangs, but I never thought I'd see a case like this…"

Unseen by her, a cold gleam flickered in the doctor's eye, and he smiled thinly at the nurse. "Thank you, that'll be all. I'll take him to the wards. Has anyone been able to identify him, family, friends?"

"No identification yet, but there were two people who accompanied him in the ambulance. One of them claims to be his guardian. They're both in the waiting room right now."

"Is that so?"

 _So the Demon King's made his move at last. I'll have to be careful…_

"Why don't you go question them, nurse? Get whatever information you can on the patient. Keep them in the waiting room, I'll go see them later."

"Yes, Doctor. If it turns out this was a gang-related incident, shall I call the police?"

"Only if the guardian gives consent." Which Raphael doubted would happen. Likely the Demon King would want to keep this as private an affair as possible.

The nurse left the room, and Raphael was alone to take the gurney. He wheeled it down the hall towards the high dependency wards, where all unresponsive, unconscious patients would be stored like fresh meat in a freezer, but at the last minute turned it down another hallway. Patient and doctor finally came to a ward that was dark and empty, and far away from anybody else. Raphael wheeled the gurney inside a room, carefully closed and locked the door behind him, then cast a spell over the lock for good measure.

Now alone with his brother, Raphael took a moment to gaze over the thin, frail form. Such a weak-looking boy…Lucifer had always been smaller than the others, and yet had somehow ended up not only the highest ranked, but the most powerful of all of them. For thousands of years he'd held his position, and then one day simply…disappeared. No one knew why. Some said he'd been cast out. Some said he ran away of his own volition. Some even dared to guess that he'd been killed, only to contradict themselves when he turned up several centuries later. But by then, he might as well have been dead in the eyes of Heaven. Black wings and violet hair to match his irises, demon's clothing on his back and the stench of death about him. It had been a great shock to many, Raphael included. At that point, it was often said that Lucifer, the Light of Heaven, had fallen so low into the black that no light could ever touch him again. _Disgrace,_ they whispered. _Impurity._

Raphael scoffed. Fools, the lot of them, they were so used to their piety and purity they didn't know what disgrace was. As the leader of a demon's army Lucifer was perhaps the strongest he'd ever been, and for the first time, Raphael considered respecting his brother.

No, his brother hadn't been disgraced. He'd been _perfected._

Now?

His lip curled in a sneer. One hand reached beneath his coat and withdrew a silver blade, a simple kitchen knife he'd swiped from the dining room. Before, he'd been ecstatic at the chance to have Lucifer in his possession as he did now, after centuries of being unable to perform any of his experiments from the past. But as he ran his eyes distastefully up and down the body that lay before him, he found previous eagerness diminished. In this state it wouldn't even take magic to finish him. The only thing that he could do now is put him out of his misery.

"How you've fallen, _Morningstar,_ " he whispered, and struck down.

* * *

"You're the guardian of Urushihara Hanzo?"

"Yes, I am." Ashiya only half listened to the nurse's questions.

"Please, is there any way we can go see him?" Chiho was putting on her best cute girl face, her wide eyes teary and begging.

"I'm sorry, but the doctor's requested you remain here for the time being. When he's ready he'll come and see you."

"But—."

"Chiho," Ashiya interrupted, and his tone was gentle. "I think it's best if you go home. Your mother must be worried sick about you. Everything's going to be fine, we'll text you if anything happens."

Chiho clearly wanted to argue, but in the end she gave in. "All right," she said, sounding as if she were holding back tears. "Just…promise me he'll be okay?"

Ashiya smiled encouragingly. "He'll be fine."

Chiho nodded, and walked towards the exit. Meanwhile, the nurse presented a clipboard. "For now, I'm going to need all the information you have on the patient. I need you to fill out this sheet."

"All right…Um, would you happen to know if public health insurance would cover his treatment?"

* * *

Chiho wandered slowly out the doors, hardly reacting as other visitors brushed past her. But as soon as there was no one around, she dashed around the corner past a row of bushes, towards the south end of the hospital. She reached the emergency entrance and ducked into the shadows when a pair of paramedics rushed past. Pressing herself against the wall, she peered around the corner and scanned the grounds. Her eyes narrowed. Too many people. She'd have to find another way around…

She suddenly stiffened, and stilled. She heard something move, and she whirled around, fist raised. The figure creeping up right behind her yelped and flinched. " _Easy,_ it's just me!"

Chiho blinked. "Oh, sorry, Sariel-san." She lowered her arm.

The pudgy angel let out a breath. "Save it for the other angels, would you? I have a feeling we're going to need all we can get."

He straightened the lapels of his uniform—not his usual Sentucky garb, but instead that of a paramedic. When the ambulance had arrived at the apartment, he'd secretly laid a sleeping spell on the driver and taken his uniform, then driven (completely terrified all the while, he didn't mind saying) them all to the hospital. It seemed he hadn't had time to change out of it, though he clearly looked like he wanted to—the original driver had been a big man, and right now both pant legs had been rolled up, and he kept readjusting the hem of his shirt, which had been stuffed into his waistband to prevent it from hanging about.

He looked around. "Where's Alciel?"

"Still inside." Chiho peeked around the corner again, where there were still several workers running about. "Let's not talk here."

She grabbed Sariel's arm and dragged him towards the bushes, out of sight from anyone else. They crouched among the foliage, only the tops of their heads peeking out as they scanned their surroundings. "Find anything yet?" she asked.

Sariel huffed. "Apart from a few rude emergency room workers, nothing much. Honestly, just because they work in the emergency section doesn't mean all paramedics have to be buff!"

Chiho shot him a glare. "I meant on the other angels."

"Oh. Nothing useful. You?"

"I haven't had much time to look. But I feel like we're close. I was thinking maybe we could go around to the other end, check out the—"

She broke off when Sariel tapped her shoulder. "What?"

"Shh. Look, there." Sariel pointed a ways away, past the bushes and trees, towards another building. Near it was a figure—a huge, hulking figure—who was walking towards the building, though all the lights inside were off. But from the feeling the person gave off, even from this distance…

"That's it," Chiho whispered. "The other angel. It's got to be."

She glanced at Sariel. "Ready?"

Sariel nodded.

As stealthily as they could, they snuck forward into the shadows. As they got closer, they saw the building they were heading towards, and the one the figure had entered, was the physical fitness building, where the hospital kept all its training and exercise equipment. For a moment Chiho doubted herself—maybe the person who went in was just a fitness coach, after all?—but the strange feeling she'd gotten had only grown stronger the closer they got, so she readied herself instead for battle.

When they got to the building, they ducked behind a column, then Chiho edged herself out a little ways and peeked in through the large windows that surrounded the building. The inside was completely dark and empty, though the equipment inside was illuminated just a little by the street lamps and moonlight. There was no sign of the figure.

"Where'd he go?" Chiho muttered. She edged around the column to the front door, and gave it a quick tug. To her surprise, it opened.

"Sariel-san, come on, let's go," she hissed. Very reluctantly, Sariel followed.

It was eerily quiet, and rather chilly compared to the outside. Sariel rubbed his arms from the unexpected coldness, while Chiho struggled not to let her teeth chatter.

"Where d'you suppose he— _ow!_ " Sariel yelped as he bumped into a rack of weights, which made a painfully loud clanging noise.

Chiho rushed to him and put a hand over his mouth. " _Quiet_ _!_ We're supposed to find him, not the other way around!"

There came a noise from far away, and looking sharply in that direction, Chiho tugged Sariel down into the darkness, next to the treadmills. They waited with bated breath for something to appear, but nothing did. After a minute or so Chiho motioned to Sariel, and they began to navigate towards the direction the noise had come from, sticking as much as they could to the shadows.

At the other end of the building was a darkened hallway with several doors. All of them looked closed, except for the one at the far end. A sliver of light shone through the open crack.

Chiho looked at Sariel. _Get ready,_ she mouthed, and crept forward. They stopped right at the door, and Chiho listened at it. No sound came from within. She raised her hand and counted with her fingers…one, two, _three_.

They burst through the door, only to find…an empty cycling room. All the lights were on, but like the rest of the building, there was no one in it.

Chiho straightened, sighing. "Damn, we must have missed him or something. Maybe we should try—"

"Who are you?"

Both Chiho and Sariel jumped and whirled around…and looked up. Not six inches from them stood a giant of a man, with huge muscles practically bursting from his T-shirt that read _Wagahara Fitness 4 U_ that somehow miraculously kept its seams intact. Scraggly red hair hung about his face like ragged curtains, and failed to hide surprisingly brilliant blue eyes.

Chiho and Sariel retreated into the room as fast as they could, away from the man. Chiho felt a knot of fear tighten in her stomach. Without a doubt, this was the angel, but she certainly didn't expect him to be this _massive._

" _Asbeel…_ "

Chiho glanced at her partner, and her eyes widened. Sariel looked inexplicably, utterly terrified. Strangled noises made their way up his throat, and he seemed frozen to the spot, eyes wide as moons and expression twisted in fear.

"Sariel…who is he?"

It took several tries for Sariel to form a complete word. "A monster," he finally managed. "One of the oldest angels that ever lived. He was imprisoned thousands of years ago for involving himself with a human, back when it was forbidden, and declared fallen. A few centuries ago, he tried to escape, and he ended up killing five angels before he was recaptured. I was there; he ripped them apart like _paper._ Before his imprisonment, he fought against the Great Demon King Satan single-handedly and almost won. If Heaven's called upon him, then..."

"They're running out of options," Chiho finished.

Asbeel stepped into the room, ducking beneath the door frame. Chiho and Sariel slowly backed away at the same time. In the corner of Chiho's eye, she saw the reflection of a door behind her in the wall of mirrors to the side; subtly, she oriented herself towards it.

Asbeel stopped five steps in, and the other two stopped with him. "Sariel," he rumbled, his icy gaze fixated upon the angel, who flinched. "It has been a long time."

"Not long enough," Sariel replied. Perhaps he was trying to sound brave, but what came out instead was a high pitched whimper.

Asbeel turned his gaze to Chiho, and she had to stop herself from shaking. She imagined this must be what a rabbit sees when a bear stands over it. But to her surprise, she saw that his gaze softened when it met her own.

"You are human," he stated. "What's more, you are of this world. Yet you know of angels. How?"

Chiho didn't answer. She honestly didn't know how, at that moment. At her silence, Asbeel looked back to Sariel.

"Why are you here, Sariel? Have you come to fight me?"

"No!" Sariel responded quickly. "No, I-I can't." He shot a fear-stricken, apologetic look to Chiho, who'd glared at him. "I'm sorry, but I can't. He's just too strong. I'll die for sure."

"Then why are you here?" Asbeel asked again. He looked to Chiho again. "And who are you?"

Quelling her shaking, Chiho lifted her chin and took a step forward. "I'm with Maou," she stated. She jerked a thumb at Sariel. "And he is too."

" _What?!_ No, I'm not, I...!"

"We've come to stop you from taking Alas=Ramus," Chiho continued, ignoring him. "We won't let you have her."

Asbeel was silent for a time. "I was not ordered to fight either of you. Only the Hero and the Demon King." His expression got that sorrowful tinge again. "And I do not wish to battle a human girl."

"Then you can just stand there and let me bring you down," Chiho retorted.

Asbeel gave a soft snort. "I respect your courage, human," he said, his voice lightly condescending, "but I doubt you can do that. Leave, now, and do not interfere. I have no business with you, and I do not wish to bring unnecessary harm to you."

"Then I'll make it necessary for you," Chiho replied, and lunged forward. She shot at the gigantic angel with surprising speed, and something flashed in her hand.

"Consider this a _gift!_ " She swung upwards, and Asbeel cried out as he was suddenly slashed by _something_ across his chest. He stumbled backwards, and looked down at the shallow cut that had split through the logo on his shirt. A trickle of blood leaked down his skin.

Asbeel grit his teeth, then lashed forward. His arm was a blur as it swung out and backhanded Chiho clear across the room. She slammed into the wall, and it crumbled, dust billowing over the exercise bikes. Sariel only looked on in horror.

Asbeel spread his matted wings, breathing hard. "You are no human," he growled.

In the center of the crater, a figure moved. "Well, you're only _half_ wrong."

Something about her form shimmered, and she stepped over the rubble and out of the dust. "Honestly, I'm surprised the illusion managed to stay for that long."

Emilia Justina, in full armor, grinned at Asbeel and brandished Better Half. "You wanted Alas=Ramus, angel?" she challenged. "Come get her!"

* * *

 **RN:** I'd like to give a huge thank you to pika318 for the knowledge about proper hospital procedures, you wouldn't believe how difficult it is to find online. Additionally, it actually helped shaped part of the story, so they deserve thanks from all of y'all as well.

~I've changed the title of the chapter to 'Confrontation' because I felt it fits better.

~I'm currently writing the third part of this fight, and I thought I might wait until I finish writing the entire portion of this story, but that's going to take a long time if I'm to be honest with myself, so I thought I'd go ahead and upload this chapter. As you might have noticed I've deleted the previous notice I put up, so the story should go smoothly from here on out.

~I feel I must add a point I thought I made earlier, but was apparently rather vague. You may or may not have noticed that there are inconsistencies in this setting with the plot to the actual series, especially concerning things about Heaven. I will explain by saying when I began this story, I didn't know of any access to translated novels, and I'd read only up to volume 4. As such I designed this story with the idea that Heaven was something a little closer to the Biblical version. For those of you who have read all the way to Volume 15, good job on finding all of them for one, I'm really impressed. But additionally, I am giving you a heads up that Heaven in this story will likely be very different from the Heaven in the novels. I am going to read the novels, so please don't give me any details or spoilers, but I will be keeping to how I planned Heaven to be from the beginning, for consistency's sake, and the sake of the plotline. As I said in previous chapters, if this bothers you too much, let me know and I'll try to accommodate. But if you're fine with it, then just tell me what you think of it :).

~I'm pretty sure the majority of you, if not all of you, guessed Chiho was not really Chiho at some point, but ah well...

~We're getting to the climax of the story, so stay tuned! Lots of action coming up at last, I think we've all been waiting for it.

~As promised, I'll tell you all what _achleicht_ is. I wanted to put it in the story, and it is in the next chapter, but I also promised I'd tell you all in this chapter, so here it is. The next chapter will provide more explanation, but essentially it is the leakage that erupts from a sore due to an infection made by a worm burrowing into your backside. I wanted something disgusting and derogatory, and though I could have done worse, I think this did the trick...At least, to Sariel, it was horrendous.

~As always, please leave a review. They're not human despair, but they sure do give me a brain power boost.


	9. Confrontation Part 2

The knife flashed downwards. Its point struck straight for Lucifer's heart...then halted, only centimeters away from it.

Raphael's brow twitched. His mouth pulled in a grimace as he strained against the arm holding his own, and his eyes glared at his opponent, who, impossibly, was smiling back at him.

Gradually, Lucifer moved the knife away from his chest. Raphael grunted as the vice-like grip around his arm tightened.

"How..." he hissed through his teeth. "How are you _moving_?!"

In response, Lucifer punched him. Raphael lost his grip on the knife as he went flying backwards, crashing into the window hard enough to crack it but not fast enough to go through it. He fell to the ground, groaning.

"Simple," Lucifer replied, and before Raphael's shocked gaze, his form rippled, and suddenly the human form of the Demon King Satan stood in his place, a complete set of different clothes under his hospital robe, which he shrugged off.

His eyes glittered coldly. "You screwed up."

A slow grin spread across Raphael's face, and he chuckled as he pushed himself to his feet. "I see..."

He brushed the dust off his clothes. "But then I suppose this means dear Lucifer is still... _incapacitated._ Have you come to seek revenge for him, Demon Lord?"

"Why would I, when he's perfectly all right?" Raphael's grin slid from his face. "We found your poison, Raphael."

At Raphael's surprised look, Satan smirked, and slowly shortened the distance between them. "Yeah, I know who you are. I know all about how you used to _experiment_ with your little plants and poisons. Lucky for us you picked something so easy to fix. All I'm here for is to give you a message: Go now, and leave us in peace. Tell Heaven never to bother us again, for any reason. No one has to get hurt."

Raphael was stock-still. This was most unexpected of the Demon King. Was he seriously trying to avoid fighting?

Satan stopped a few feet away from him. His grin fell. "...At least, that's what I'd like to say. But that was before you injured my subordinate. If you hadn't done that, I might have just let you off with a warning. Now...I'm going to beat you up so badly neither you nor Heaven will even _think_ about sending another angel to threaten my subjects ever again."

His eyes glowed with a reddish tinge, and for a brief moment, Raphael felt his chest tighten.

 _So this is what it means to be in the presence of the Demon King Satan..._

It passed quickly, however, and he gave a light chuckle. "Well, now that you know who I am, I suppose there's no need for all this anymore."

His hair rippled, changing from brown to gleaming silver. He wiped his eyes and shook off the brown contacts at the end of his fingers, revealing scarlet irises underneath. With a wave of his hand, a long, thin staff made of pure white wood and crooked at the end in a hook materialized. He tapped the staff against the floor, and a brief burst of power swept away from it, sending the curtains and Satan's hair fluttering. The air crackled with the scent of energy.

Satan narrowed his eyes against the wave, but he didn't move.

Raphael hummed. "So, my brother lives after all." There was a brief flash of what seemed to be…Happiness? Wistfulness? It was difficult to tell… "Well, he always was a hardy little thing. I was always surprised by how much he could put up with."

"Like your torture sessions?" When Raphael looked at him sharply in shock, Satan's gaze hardened. "I'm well aware of how you treated him in the past, Raphael."

Raphael raised an eyebrow. "Are you, now?"

He slowly ran a palm along the smooth wood of his staff. A nostalgic air had come about him, and he seemed partly lost in memories. "Do you know, he was originally supposed to die with the Carver I left him," he murmured. "The moment the curse sensed your energy, it would activate, and he'd expire from the shock and blood loss. Then all you'd be left with would be my message and a corpse as a warning. But of course, that would mean that I wouldn't have the chance to play with him anymore, so I eased up the curse and left the poison instead. Wanted to keep him nice and fresh for when I returned to him after I dispatched of all of you and got the fragment, but weak enough that he wouldn't go anywhere until my job was finished."

He said it all in such an infuriatingly casual tone, it took all of Satan's self-control not to blast his head off his shoulders right then and there. But not yet...

Raphael twirled his staff lazily between his fingers. "But apparently you all catch on more quickly than I thought. Ah, well, no matter. This just means he'll be more of an enjoyable patient."

He tilted his head and quirked an eyebrow. "Well, I think it's safe to assume you're not here to give me the fragment of Yesod. Pity...but then again, I have been in need of a work out. However, before we begin and you, er, _beat me up,_ I have been rather curious...How did you know to find me here, like this? I knew you'd come up with a plan, but I have to admit, I never expected you'd show yourself the way you did."

Satan crossed his arms. "All right. I'll tell you. But don't think this is an opportunity to attack; it won't succeed."

Raphael smiled thinly. "Noted."

* * *

 _Earlier..._

Lucifer's body thrashed uncontrollably on the floor, although unlike the last few times, it was subdued, and he made no noise. More like he _couldn't_ make any noise.

"What's going on? Is it another Carver?" Sariel pulled up Lucifer's shirt again, but there was no sign of any fresh wounds.

"No…this seems different." Suzuno took hold of Urushihara's shoulders again and tried to hold him down. "Ashiya, help me."

"No, don't do that." Surprising even herself, Chiho went to brush them away and instead gently turned Urushihara on his side.

"What are you doing?" Ashiya demanded.

"He's having a seizure. We learned how to deal with them in Health class. You shouldn't hold them down, they might end up dislocating a shoulder or something."

"Shouldn't we do something to calm him?" Maou asked. The question was worried, but he seemed less anxious when Chiho took control.

"No need…he's calming already." True to her words, Urushihara's convulsions were weakening, and when they finally stopped she turned him back over. She gave a shaky breath. "He's fine now. It might've been just an aftereffect of getting the poison out."

Her relief was visibly shared by the others, and Ashiya placed his hand gratefully on Chiho's shoulder.

"Thank you, Chiho," Maou said sincerely.

Chiho gave a watery smile. "I'm just glad to be useful for once."

Maou returned her smile briefly, before returning to his serious expression. "We'll let Urushihara rest and heal up. Suzuno, can we move him to your room?"

"Of course, Sadao-dono." But as she started to lift Urushihara, Maou held up a hand.

"Sorry, I meant later. Before you do, there are things I need to explain. Sariel, could you fetch a blanket for Urushihara from the closet for now?"

Sariel complied, and when Lucifer was snugly tucked beneath it, they all sat in a circle a little ways away from them, all eyes trained on Maou.

Maou set his arms, which until then had been crossed, on either side of himself. "First of all…I'm sorry."

Ignoring the several pairs of raised eyebrows, he continued, "I've been acting like a jerk, and not all of it was planned. I've been letting my feelings get away from me, and I've possibly hurt you because of it."

" _I'll_ say," Sariel muttered, rubbing his stomach.

" _Your_ case _was_ planned, so stop complaining," Maou shot back.

"Wait, wait," Suzuno interrupted. "What do you mean 'planned'? Are you saying there was a reason you attacked Sariel like that? Because, frankly, I can't imagine what it would be. True, you are the Demon King, and Sariel does deserve a kick now and again ("I'm right here!" Sariel said indignantly), but that was a low move, even for you."

Maou ducked his head guiltily. "It was harsh, I admit. But I had to do it."

"Crestia Bell, it's all right," Emi said when Suzuno looked ready to retort, and Suzuno turned to her, surprised. "I've already said all that. Besides, he's right, he had to do it. There was a spy."

Suzuno closed her mouth. "What do you mean, a spy?"

Emi retrieved something from her waist. In her hand was a small and furry _something,_ which she presented to the group. It looked rather like a bat, but it had a smooth black head that had no ears or hair, just a large mouth filled with needle-like teeth, and a single, bulging, purple eye, with no iris or pupil. A gaping wound sat in its chest where it'd been stabbed, and where its feet should have been, a long tail with a feather-like end draped limply from her fingers.

"Incredible," Sariel breathed. "I never thought I'd see one!"

"What is it?" Emi asked, irritable at his vagueness.

"It's a Miracle Worker." Gingerly, Sariel plucked it from her hand and spread out its tail. "I told you Raphael didn't like subordinates, Demon King. Instead he uses _these_ …veritable performers of miracles."

"Miracles don't exist," Emi said plainly.

"They're not _actual_ miracles, _per se_ …they just heal ailments that would be impossible to fix otherwise. Fatal wounds, terminal illnesses…Rumors have it they can heal practically anything, using a combination of holy energy and, supposedly, fragments of Tiphareth."

Suzuno inhaled sharply. "There's no way Heaven would let him do that," she stated flatly.

"It's hard to tell just _what_ Heaven does or doesn't allow these days," Maou put in.

"But a _Sephira?_ If they got so worked up over the Yesod being fragmented, then—!"

"It might not _actually_ be Tiphareth," Sariel interjected hurriedly. "They're just rumors, after all. Even if Raphael lied about their composition, there's no denying their effects. I should know, because I've seen it before."

Inexplicably, Sariel paused, and something like agony flickered over his expression, before he continued, "Each Miracle Worker can only be used once, and if it's true that they contain fragments of Tiphareth, then I doubt there are very many he's made at all. Perhaps this is the only one left. I've only heard of it being used three times, twice on an angel, and once on a human."

"He _saved_ a human?" Emi's disbelieving tone voiced the feelings of the entire group.

"It's only rumor, so I don't know if it's true." Sariel looked just as doubtful. "But Raphael never denied it, so the rest of us thought he did."

"Well, we don't have time to discuss that," Maou said quickly, urgency in his tone. "What you need to know is that it was there. I'd figured whomever left the message on Lucifer wouldn't just go without leaving something behind to make sure we did what they wanted, or else monitor our movements in case we didn't. It was tiny, but I finally managed to sense there was something lingering around. I first noticed when we went to see Sariel, and I kept tabs on it all the way until we returned here.

"I thought that, if Raphael's spying on us, he'd eventually know about Sariel and Chiho-chan as well, and there was every possibility he might use either of them against us. I had to act as if Sariel wasn't on our side, and as if I didn't care much for the rest of you." He shot a guilty look at Chiho. "That way, I hoped, Raphael would see us as less of a threat, and not attack too early to be on the safe side. Additionally, I had to act as if there was nothing between us, either."

Emi's eyes widened when she realized the last sentence was directed at her. " _There_ isn't _anything between us!_ " she said shrilly, fury bubbling in her throat.

"We may not be friends, Hero, but you can't deny our animosity towards each other has greatly diminished since the war in Ente Isla. It's naïve to think Raphael wouldn't see that, and in fact he might already assume we're allies. If he had any cause to believe that we were working together side by side, without conflict, we'd present a much larger threat, and there would be every possibility he'd decide to attack us early instead. I thought that at least if we showed some friction, he'd wait like he promised, and if nothing else we'd have time to form our strategy."

Emi still appeared revolted at the idea that they were anything less than enemies, but she couldn't argue.

"I warned Sariel about it earlier when you all were in the other room—" Sariel nodded "—and he and I both devised a plan to warn Emi."

* * *

 _Before..._

"What does _achleicht_ mean, anyways? It's not anything I've ever heard."

For the first time since Maou stormed into his restaurant, the Demon King lifted his lip in a smirk, showing one pointed canine. "I'm not sure you want to know," he said slyly. "It's a demonic insult, after all."

Though Sariel got a _very_ uncomfortable feeling from that answer, he sat a little straighter (as much as his chubby self would allow) and replied, "Hmph. You think I'm so innocent I wouldn't be able to handle your vile script? We angels might be pure, but we're certainly not _children._ No matter how filthy your demon language might be, it certainly won't bother _me_."

Maou raised his eyebrows. "You're sure?"

"Try me."

Maou gave a leering grin, and leaned forward. "Then come closer. I'll have to whisper it."

An icy shiver ran down Sariel's spine, and he suddenly found himself beginning to regret this entire thing, but there was no backing out now. Maou opened his mouth, and said...

" _Don't react, don't speak, just_ _listen_ ," he whispered. " _There's a spy outside the window, it's been there for some time. Probably Raphael's. I need you to write a Carver to Emilia on the wall beneath the window._ "

Quickly he instructed Sariel on what to write. " _Don't make it until you get a chance to get close to the wall._ "

" _All right,_ " Sariel whispered back, his lips barely moving.

Maou grinned. " _Oh, and by the way, achleicht means the leakage that erupts out of sores from an infection after a Sand worm burrows in your backside._ " Sariel's eyes widened. " _Basically, it's butt-pus._ "

Sariel's features twisted in horror, and as the Demon King chuckled in delight, he let out a scream. " _AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHH!_ "

Maou watched as a puff of ghostly vapor emitted weakly from the angel's mouth as he slumped to the floor, and settled back comfortingly against the closet door. He turned his gaze nonchalantly out the window, though at the edge of his vision, he saw Sariel's finger tracing subtly along the wall, while the rest of him remained limp. Smiling inwardly, he directed his attention, but not his vision, to the small, bat-like creature hanging hidden in the shadows of the tree outside.

* * *

"But why tell Emi?" Suzuno asked. "Why not warn the rest of us as well?"

"I'll get to that in a moment. For now..." Maou looked at the clock on the wall, then at the sky outside. It was beginning to darken, and the tops of the trees seemed to be lit up in bright orange flame from the dying sunlight.

He extended his hand to Emi.

"Give me your phone," he ordered.

The situation was such that Emi obeyed without hesitation. Nevertheless, she still asked, "Why do you need it?"

Maou was already dialing. "I'm calling an ambulance."

" _What?!_ Are you insane?" Sariel exclaimed.

"Demon King…" Emi said warningly. She wasn't about to let him do something reckless in a state of panic, even after all that had just been said.

At her tone, Maou met her gaze and held it. He understood her meaning, she could tell.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," he said quietly as he put the phone to his ear. "Trust me, please."

Emi's forehead smoothed. After a moment, she nodded, and Maou gave her a look of thanks before turning to the speaker on the other end of the line. "Yes, hello, I need an ambulance. 201 Sasazuka Villa Rosa. Uh, he's got cuts on his chest, and he had a seizure not too long ago…"

 _Trust you, Demon King._ Emi could have smacked herself. But she forced those petty feelings away. Right now, all that mattered was that for now, she would work at his side. Maou had a plan, and that was all she needed to know.

* * *

 _Now..._

"I'd begun to suspect you'd disguised and integrated yourself somewhere in this hospital, but I didn't know how, until I found out what poison was used." Satan's eyes were hard as diamonds. " _Hwexmh_ is usually used in revenge plots, to cause extreme agony to the person they despise. That, and the use of a Carver, which uses up a good amount of energy, told me that you had a personal vendetta against Lucifer. Therefore, you wouldn't pass up the chance to get him into your possession, especially if he were weak and vulnerable."

Raphael chuckled softly, impressed.

"After that, it was just a matter of finding you. It only made sense that you, the angel of healing, would make yourself a doctor. Besides, your message gave you away."

Raphael blinked. "My message did?"

He jerked his head back when Satan suddenly thrust a pointing finger at him. "Midnight. That confirmed it. Because, Raphael...only an employee with a day job would take the time to plan his out-of-work activities after his shifts, and make sure it's not too late for him to get up the next day!"

There was absolute, stunned silence. Raphael honestly didn't know how to react, facing the feared Demon King, with that serious expression, having just said a line like that.

"I don't get your logic at all," he said in a strained voice.

He shook his head, and his expression turned sour. "In any case, I'm impressed you discovered my spy. That's better than I'd planned..." He tapped his staff on the ground irritably. "What's more, you disguised yourself as my brother to catch me off guard. Well, I won't deny you succeeded. But what's the point in revealing yourself now? Whatever chance you had to beat me is now lost. You waited too long. Unless that punch from earlier was supposed to be your attack, in which case I'm afraid you've rather dug yourself into an early grave."

Satan smirked. "I said so earlier, didn't I? I'm going to teach you a lesson for threatening the members of my Castle. I don't need to be sneaky to beat someone up."

Raphael frowned. He didn't like this. This wasn't how he'd expected the Demon King Satan to act at all, so naïvely simple. He shifted uneasily, searching for _something_ to give the demon away, to show that maybe he did have a plan after all. But there was nothing. For a moment Raphael began to believe he might actually be serious, when suddenly there was a _CRASH_ from far away.

Both demon and angel turned their heads towards the direction of the sound, though only Raphael could see the source through the window. His mouth fell open in surprise when he recognized the form of the Hero Emilia, currently engaged in battle with Asbeel.

Raphael turned back to the Demon King, who returned his gaze stonily. Realization dawned on the angel, and he began to laugh.

It was Satan's turn to frown as Raphael convulsed in mirth. He leaned on his staff for support as his shoulders shook, and he clapped a hand to his forehead. "Ahaha…of course. I get it now."

As Satan looked at him, confused, Raphael pointed his staff at him, grinning smugly. "You were trying to trick me, weren't you? Nearly had me going, too. Playing the fool in order to make me lower my guard, oh, very clever." He swept the crook of the staff in an arc. "In the meantime, you brought the Hero to take on whomever I was working with. A nice plan, but I'm afraid it won't work."

Satan tilted his head. "Trick you?" he repeated quietly. His forehead smoothed, and his face grew deadly serious. "You're wrong, Raphael. There's no trick, no hidden weapons, no fools, except the one you've made out of yourself. I was entirely serious when I said I came here to defeat you."

Raphael's mouth tugged downwards. "You're starting to annoy me," he growled. "Fine. If it's a fight you want, I'll make sure it's one you never forget."

White energy began to rise off him, and a gale whipped up in the room. Beds shuddered, curtains flapped, the cracked window panes rattled and shattered. Bright, gleaming wings materialized at Raphael's shoulders, and he floated a few inches off the ground.

"Do you know why I summoned you to this hospital, Demon King?" he asked loudly over the wind. White magic circles began to appear, not just before Raphael, but all about the room, and outside. A large one appeared at Satan's feet. "In a hospital, humans come here to get better, to have their ailments cured. It is a place of hope, that hope which comes their faith in the doctors that their loved one will be cured. And just as you demons fuel yourselves with despair, so can angels use the hope of humans to power ourselves." Raphael's wings began to grow in size, gleaming brightly with energy. He grinned toothily. "Not to mention it makes for a nice energy source for my trap."

The magic circles shone, and suddenly the air lit up outside in a flash. When it dimmed down, what looked like a shimmering, transparent wall was forming outside the window. All around the hospital, a dome of light was falling over its grounds and inhabitants.

Satan grunted as what felt like invisible bands lash themselves to his limbs and body and drag him downwards. He fell to one knee, gritting his teeth, and as the wind in the room picked up he found it harder and harder to breathe.

"You were a fool to come here so unprepared," Raphael sneered. "Honestly, I don't know whether to laugh or hit myself. Your energy level is pathetic, it must have taken all your concentration to hold that form. You come with no weapons, no plan except to attack me, and you show up with only the Hero? You've practically gift-wrapped yourself for me! Yet you claim to defeat me so easily? Don't tell me I severely overestimated the great Demon King Satan, master strategist of the Central Island. I might just kill you out of disappointment."

His staff gleamed a little brighter, and the weight pressing down on Satan increased. He let out a cry as he was forced to his hands, limbs shaking with the effort of holding himself up.

"This holy barrier repels demons from the outside," Raphael said. "I can't imagine what it'd do to a demon on the inside. Well...this is why we _experiment_."

Satan' head was almost touching the ground, back bowed and arms bent but still resisting. It wouldn't be long until he was completely subdued...and then disintegrated.

But then, something impossible happened. The demon began to rise. Black tendrils of energy started to collect around him, and a bright red light outlined his body. And before Raphael knew it, he was upright, withstanding the crushing effects of the barrier with hardly any effort.

"How..." Raphael breathed.

The wind died down, and the magic circle at Satan's feet shattered, while the others lost their luster. Raphael checked outside to make sure his barrier was still strong, and was relieved to see the shimmer hadn't faded. But now there was a new wind picking up, one that shrouded Satan in a cloak of darkness. From its depths issued a voice that sent warriors cowering underneath their blankets, and even the bravest angels to quiver in their feathers.

" _Like I said, Raphael...you screwed up_."

The black wind suddenly shot outwards, and struck the angel in the chest. This time he was carried through the wall and into the air outside. He brought himself to a halt before he could fall and floated there, coughing. Below, there were screams of fright as the few people below ran away from the falling glass and debris.

At the hole, a maelstrom leaked out to pour into the outside, and at the center of it, a figure covered in black flames stood at the edge of the building, glaring at him through scarlet eyes. It rose before Raphael, and the flames melted away, revealing the Demon King, in his truest form. Tattered scraps of clothes hung about huge, hardened muscles, and claws cracked, itching for a fight. One single horn glittered in the moonlight. Incredibly, his underpants were completely intact.

"For all that you claim to know from healing humans, you haven't got a clue about how they really work, do you?" the Demon King said, his gaze strangely distant. "It's true that a place of healing gives a human hope. But humans are worrisome creatures, and they can't help but care. No matter what the odds, they're going to imagine the worst and pray it doesn't happen, and that hope lasts only a moment before it gives way to anxiety and fear. It's why it's called the 'darkest hour', because in that time, nothing seems darker. I should know; I was the master at causing them." Fangs glinted as he smirked. "You might feed off their hope, but they're mere flickers compared to all the hours spent afterwards worrying that their loved one is going to be okay. And guess where that worry goes."

A burst of demonic energy welled upwards, and Raphael crossed his staff in front of him to shield himself. The barrier he put around himself did little to buffer the force, however; the Demon King was strong, stronger than he'd anticipated.

"You know, angel...if you think about it, in a way, I'm the one collecting those prayers." Satan grinned. "You screwed up by bringing me to this place. I've been gathering their fear ever since I got here."

Raphael gritted his teeth, and with a yell, he threw himself at Satan. But he didn't get very far when there was a piercing sound of something whistling through the air, and he jerked himself back just in time to avoid a volley of black spikes between him and the Demon King.

"Honestly, my lord, if you're going to assume your true form, could you please try not to keep ruining your clothes?" Below them, Satan's Demon General was rising up to meet them, in full-fledged demon form and carrying a cloth in his arms. The Iron Scorpion sighed when he reached them and presented the cloth to his master. "It's a real waste of money. At this point, I might have to even resort to _asking_ Lucifer to buy you another set."

The cloth unfolded into a large mantle, the deep blue material rippling in the wind. Satan took it and set it about his shoulders, flashing a sheepish grin. "Iyaa, I'd hate to make you fall to that point, sorry, Alciel. But it's not like I can just walk around with my clothes from Ente Isla, can I? They're way too big to wear on my human body, and it's a pain to carry around. Besides, I'm not fast like Superman when it comes to changing clothes, I don't have time to dash into a phone booth every time there's trouble."

" _That's_ a sight I'd like to see." The Demon General's own cape billowed behind him. He turned to face Raphael at last, who had been glowering at them silently during their banter. "Shall I dispose of this other waste of money, my lord?"

Before anyone could answer, there was a _CRACK,_ and suddenly the Hero Emilia appeared, slowing herself as she flew away from something on the ground. A moment later, another screaming figure shot into her, and she grunted from the impact, though she flew back only a few feet before stopping. Only then did she notice the situation she'd joined. Signs of battle hung about her, from her bruised face and blood from her split lip, to her disheveled silver hair. Her eyes narrowed when she caught sight of the angel facing the demons.

"I'm guessing you're Raphael?" she said roughly. "You're wimpier-looking than I expected."

"Raphael?" Raphael's eyes widened as the figure who'd barreled into her unfolded himself into the angel Sariel. It'd taken a moment for Raphael to recognize him; he'd gotten fat since the last time he saw him.

"Sariel..." Raphael murmured in surprise. "You're in league with them?"

Sariel's face twisted in fear when he caught sight of Raphael. "No! I...Why does everyone keep assuming that?"

A moment later, Asbeel was at his side. Raphael felt the larger angel stiffen, and he saw Asbeel's eyes trained directly on Satan.

"You..." Asbeel said quietly.

The demons looked stunned at the appearance of the fallen angel. Perhaps they weren't expecting such a huge opponent. Satan looked even more taken aback when he realized Asbeel was addressing him.

"Me?" he asked, pointing to himself.

The very air itself seemed to tremble. Flickers of yellow energy flashed up and down Asbeel's arms. "You may have changed your appearance, Satan, but you can't hide your filthy energy. I'd recognize it anywhere."

Satan tilted his head. "Sorry, have we met?" he asked, his voice cautious.

Asbeel curled his giant hands into fists, and there was the faint sound of chains rattling. But Raphael put a hand on his arm, stilling him. Asbeel's eyes, icy blue and just as cold, drifted slowly down to the other angel, and he seemed only inches away from murdering the one getting in the way of his fight. But Raphael's own stern glare, piercingly scarlet, refused to back down. Finally Asbeel submitted, showing so by floating back a little. But only a little.

Raphael flashed a smile to Satan and the others. "Well, it seems like we've all gathered here at last," he said loudly, drifting forward to between the two sides. "I think before we get started in our brawl, we ought to get everyone up to speed. I am the archangel Raphael. The giant behind me is Asbeel, the Forsaken. I'm afraid we didn't expect you, Sariel, but you're welcome to our little party all the same. Hero, it's so good to see you at last." His eyes fell to the blade she gripped in her hand. "And just like we asked, you brought the fragment of Yesod. How kind of you to comply."

"There's no _way_ I'm handing her over to you," Emilia snarled.

"We wouldn't expect anything less," Raphael replied smoothly. "That's why Asbeel is here - to take it from you."

"Raphael," Asbeel growled impatiently.

"Right, right, I know." He floated closer to the others, and beckoned at the Demon King. After a moment's hesitation, Satan complied.

Raphael leaned in and whispered, so that only they two could hear, "I know you said you'd beat me up, but unfortunately I can't fight you. You've been promised to someone else. Y'see, Asbeel here thinks you're the Great Demon King Satan he fought all those centuries ago, and he's just _itching_ for a rematch. Try not to let him down, m'kay?"

Satan's brow creased as he said this, and his eyes briefly flickered to Asbeel, then back to Raphael, who grinned and floated away from him.

"But before all that...allow me to show you why the forces of good always triumph over evil."

His staff glowed, and the barrier around the hospital got brighter in response.

"I'm afraid I wasn't clear on what I meant by the hope of humans," Raphael said, addressing everyone now. "In all of my years of watching humans, whether they are getting healed or in the midst of a battle, I've noticed there is a single moment, at the turn of the tide, when the fate of either them or their loved ones could end with them dying or going towards recovery. When it is the latter, there is an instant of relief, when they know everything is going to be all right, that makes their joy and morale manifest tenfold. In that moment, they can overcome anything. I'm sure you're familiar with the feeling, Hero. In addition, I get an extra power boost every time a human is healed. So," he raised his staff, and swept it in a circle, "what do you think would happen if all the humans in this hospital were miraculously cured all at once?"

A shower of golden light began to fall from the dome, permeating through the walls and into every room. Inside the hospital, people gasped as wounds began to close and bones somehow fixed themselves. Patients on respirators sat up as they suddenly began to breathe on their own, and doctors marveled as tumors present on a scanner magically shrunk away to nothing. All around, a universal feeling of pleasure and content began to settle down, and cries of joy and wonder echoed about the hospital as loved ones and patients alike clapped their hands together in thanks.

Outside, the wings of Raphael had begun to grow larger. "Unfortunately, fallen angels aren't fueled, but that won't matter with Asbeel," he said.

"And what about half-angels?"

Emilia's hair whipped around her as her armor began to glow as well, and next to her, Sariel seemed to be similarly powering up.

Raphael gave her a condescending smile. "True, you are bound to feel some effects. But then, again, you are only _half-_ angel. I doubt the effect is as strong."

"Don't assume so quickly, Raphael," Sariel retorted, but his energy was lost when he caught sight of Emilia's expression, which was troubled.

"No, he's right," Emilia said quietly. "I can feel it having an effect on me, but it's not much, and slow. I won't be able to use this as a proper power source."

Raphael chuckled. Hearing that, Emilia's features twisted into anger and she thrust a finger at the angel. "Don't get me wrong, I'm still more than a match for either of you!"

Sariel's mouth opened and closed in shock, before he stammered, "A-and I get the full effect, s-so don't worry!" He pointed a trembling finger at Raphael in turn. "I'll take you on, Raphael! So let's go!"

Raphael raised an amused eyebrow. "So, you are on their side after all?"

"I..." Sariel swallowed, then clenched his fists. "Yes. Yes, I am. Because if I let you and Heaven have your way, my beloved Kisaki will most definitely get hurt, and I won't let anything happen to my goddess!"

"Your...goddess?" Raphael tapped his staff against his leg, unimpressed. "Well, I'll admit you've got more guts than I took you for. Fine, Sariel, I accept your challenge. Fight me...if you think it'll make a difference. Remember, as long as the humans are getting better, I'm getting stronger. And besides, the moon's half-full tonight, do you think you'll be able to generate enough power to match mine?"

Sariel hesitated, and seemed almost to change his mind, but he shook his head with a growl. He summoned his scythe to his hand. "I'd be more than a match for you on a new moon. Half a moon is all I need."

"Let's test that." There was a sound like a laser being fired, and a beam of white energy shot from the staff straight towards Sariel. Sariel swung up his scythe to counter, but was too slow to block it...

A hand shot out faster than he could see, and caught the beam point on. It left the palm smoking, though the skin was unmarred. Satan curled his claws into a fist, extinguishing the smoke. Without another word, he launched himself at Raphael, fist raised, but then Asbeel was there, and with one hit the giant sent him flying clear to the other side of the hospital. Even before he started to slow Asbeel had already reached him again, and they began to battle, dodging and striking.

"My lord!" Alciel rushed over to aid him, but he was stopped by Raphael's staff.

"Ah-ah." Raphael shook his finger. "Your fight is with me."

He twirled and brought down his staff into the demon's chest, sending him careening downwards. Just before Alciel hit the ground he stopped himself, but he had barely enough time to recover before beams of energy shot towards him, and he dodged them just in time. They struck holes in the concrete instead. Launching himself back upwards, the Iron Scorpion raised his hand and returned energy shots of his own, his glowing green. Raphael avoided them with ease, and he vanished in a blur, reappearing only a few inches from Alciel. With a grin, he drew back a fist and cracked the demon across the chin.

"Alciel!" Emilia shouted, when the demon fell. She started to go after him, but Sariel went ahead of her.

"I'll help him. You go aid the Demon King!" he shouted.

"You want me to _what?!_ "

"Just go!"

Emilia made a noise in frustration, but she followed after Asbeel and Satan. The two giants were a blur as they battled with inhuman speed, flashing from one point to another. Yet the Hero followed their movements easily, and just as Asbeel was about to bring his fists down on the Demon King's head, Better Half flashed, and Asbeel let out a yell as she sliced through his forearm.

The angel pulled away and dodged a second swipe, and Emilia maneuvered herself between him and Satan. It was strange, and uncomfortable, fighting with the Demon King at her back, but she ignored the feeling and focused on the enemy before her. Already the wound on his arm was healing, the flesh knitting together as the hope of the humans fueled him.

"I can handle myself," the Demon King growled.

"That's a stupid statement coming from you, and you know it," Emilia shot back. "Don't waste time trying to convince me, just focus on the fight!"

If Satan gave a reply, she didn't hear it, for at that moment Asbeel shot forward. She braced herself, and swung up her sword to block his blow, but instead of attacking her, Asbeel merely smacked her aside as he continued straight for the Demon King. Satan disappeared just as Asbeel punched at him, reappearing right behind him. His hands glowing with energy, he brought both in a strike squarely in the middle of Asbeel's back. The angel flew forward with the blow, but not nearly as far as Satan had intended. Just as he was turning around, however, there came a shout.

" _HEAVENLY FLAME SLASH!_ "

A barrage of flaming projectiles engulfed the angel, and he disappeared from sight in the fire. At the same time, a compact car, levitated by Satan, dropped down and exploded atop the ball of flame. Screams echoed within the hospital, and fiery debris rained down on the empty parking lot. Yet this went unnoticed by both the Hero and the Demon King, who waited for the flames to dissipate, their gazes holding mirrored trepidation.

When they did, they saw Asbeel still floating there, practically untouched. Emi let out her breath in a horrified whisper. "Nothing...Not a scratch..."

"No wonder Heaven wanted to lock him up," Satan muttered. Sweat rolled down the back of his neck.

Asbeel turned slowly, his icy blue eyes filled with rage. "You wish so badly to join the Demon King in his fate, Hero?" he hissed. "When you should be at my side instead, opposing him?"

"I'll oppose anyone who tries to take away my daughter," Emilia spat back. "Your morals and justifications mean nothing when said by hypocrites like you!"

"Hypocrite, am I?" Asbeel's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You know _nothing,_ half-breed."

"I know you work on the side of liars and manipulators." Emilia's glare was fierce and cold. "I know you ally yourself with a sadist and potential murderer. And I know by your black wings, _fallen angel,_ that you are just as guilty as the rest of them. You disgrace yourself by trying to believe you're path is the right one."

Yellow energy began to flow up Asbeel's arms from his fists, and a gale began to swirl around him. Magic circles appeared one by one around him.

"Probably shouldn't have riled him up so much," Satan remarked in a tense tone.

They suddenly dodged in different directions as a beam of yellow energy shot their direction. It was larger than most beams, and Satan felt the fur on his legs sizzle as he flew away. The beam lasted only an instant, and when it was gone, a chunk of the rooftop balcony had been completely vaporized. It had been large enough that a piece of the roof had been taken as well, and they saw the inside of an empty hospital room, now exposed to the night air. If someone had been in there...

"Stop it! You're going to kill the humans!" Satan shouted.

A magic circle turned towards him, as did the angel behind it. "So get in the way."

Magic crackled, and Satan braced himself as yellow filled his vision.

* * *

Sariel twirled his scythe above his head, and with a yell, he sped towards Raphael, who was exchanging blows with Alciel. Seeing him, Alciel jumped up at the last second out of the way, and Sariel let loose a torrent of energy bullets.

Only the first two hit; the rest dotted the pavement as Raphael flew out of the way, bringing his staff around instead. Sariel blocked it with his scythe, and twirled in mid-air to slice it across the other angel's middle. Raphael barely dodged, the tip of the blade just scratching the fabric of his shirt, but as he jumped away Alciel was there waiting for him. The demon whipped his tail forward, and the barbs at the end of his tail grazed Raphael's cheek. Ducking to the side, Raphael spun around and delivered a blow with his staff across Alciel's face. He chased after the demon as he retreated, sending a mixture of energy bursts from his staff and punches when he was close enough. Finally Alciel caught his punches, and the two grappled with each other on the pavement.

Behind him, Sariel flew low to the ground, until he was right upon his brother. Swinging his scythe upwards, he brought his blade down on the other angel.

Raphael grinned. He suddenly slackened his grip and bent backwards; carried by the momentum, Alciel let out a yell as he fell forwards, right into the path of Sariel's blade. At the last possible second Sariel diverted the blow to the side, and he barreled into the demon instead. They tumbled to the ground in a mess of bodies and limbs.

Sariel yelped as he scraped against the sharp spines, but recovered and immediately got back up, calling his scythe to his hand and bringing it around for a second blow. Faster than he thought, Raphael brought his staff up to block him. Energy crackled all around them from the impact. They struggled back and forth, before Raphael swung under his staff and delivered a kick to Sariel's pudgy stomach. Sariel coughed from the blow, stunned, and couldn't prevent a second strike to his head, which knocked him out of the air and down the last few feet to the ground.

Raphael grinned, but he suddenly flew forward as something struck him in his back. He groaned, his back smoking, and he glared at Alciel, who was building up for another attack. Snarling, he went straight for him, bringing his leg around to strike him in the side.

He didn't expect it to _hurt._ It felt like kicking a steel wall. Raphael cried out in agony and jumped away, holding his leg. Meanwhile, Alciel had barely moved, and he gave a grin of his own as he let loose with his own energy. Raphael's widened before his vision was filled with green, and he was blown halfway across the parking lot to crash into an ambulance.

Alciel started towards him again, when gunshots rang out, and he flinched when something ricocheted his arm. He twisted around to see policemen standing behind cars, their guns trained on him. Behind them, the wailing of sirens signified the arrival of further police cars.

"You there! Hands in the air!" one of them shouted out. Alciel's head whipped towards him, and the policeman's expression melted to shock when he saw his demonic appearance. "What the...?"

"Sir, up there!" All four policemen looked up, where Asbeel's battle with the Hero and Demon King still raged in full sight of everyone.

"What the hell is that...?

Alciel flung out a hand. "Stay back! This place is dangerous!" He ducked when gunshots rang out again, striking the car next to him.

"I said put your hands up!"

Alciel growled, and swept his hand to the side. The guns were flung from the policemen's hold and tossed to the side, and their owners looked on in shock. He was about to do the same to the policemen themselves when his lord's command resounded in the parking lot.

"No, Alciel! Don't hurt them!"

The Demon King was locked in a hold with Asbeel, while Emilia was nowhere to be seen. Satan was bent over backwards nearly in half as he strained under the angel's grip, but he still twisted his head to look down at Alciel. Grunting with exertion, he barely managed to free one hand to snap his fingers, before Asbeel snatched him by the throat and threw him towards the roof.

" _Maou-sama!_ " Alciel cried, even as the place began to turn an odd shade of grey. The policemen all sighed, relaxed, and collapsed. But something was wrong. Even as the grey spread out throughout the hospital and beyond its grounds, it began to shimmer, and crumble back into sharp color. By the time it had gotten to the boundary of the golden dome, still in place, it had disappeared altogether. The policemen who had fallen began to stir and sit back up, holding their heads and wondering aloud what had happened.

 _What?_ _Maou-sama's barrier...didn't work?_

"Sorry, Demon King...That won't work here."

Raphael was clawing his way from the crater in the ambulance, looking winded but still unhurt, much to Alciel's disappointment. He laughed at the Iron Scorpion's confused expression.

"Your attempts to make a barrier won't work while mine is still up," he explained. "And if you try to fly out of the barrier to do so, you won't be able to come back in; my trap is too strong for that. So unless you're fine with abandoning your allies in battle, I'd advise you just stay put."

Alciel cursed. He jumped at Raphael again, hand glowing with green energy, but Raphael shot upwards out of the way, staff in hand.

"Ah, actually I'm a bit tired of fighting you right now," he said airily. "But don't worry, I've got a better idea."

He suddenly flicked his wrist, and sharp, needle-like _somethings_ pricked themselves onto the bare skin of Alciel, and Sariel, who was beginning to get up. Wincing, Alciel pulled away whatever had hit him in the cheek, and saw a tiny dart, like a cactus needle.

Raphael crossed his arms in front of himself in an X. "How about you two fight each other?"

He began to mutter in the Entean Langauge. " ** _Jfeem afac hte pepokiej ow hte enepiej I jee, zkinv zayr hteik pinxj ho hteik jhahe ow hfo ceakj majh._** "

Both Alciel and Sariel cried out as an intense headache suddenly split their skulls, and they fell to the ground, clutching their scalps. Alciel wasn't aware of himself hitting the pavement until he was already curled into a ball, screaming, eyes screwed tight. And yet, amid the pain and chaos, images were flickering before him, on the back of his eyelids. Memories from earlier...Lucifer on the wall...the marketplace...the rice cooker he'd won before...On and on they went, as if he were watching his own timeline in reverse. There was Emilia...his friend? No, she was his enemy! She'd always been his enemy...

There was a little girl there, but he couldn't think who she was...And there was his king, Maou-sama...He had to protect him, because they were fighting...they were fighting...

He could feel the pain spreading like a blanket to envelope every sensation, every _thought,_ until he couldn't think, he couldn't even remember where he _was_...Who he was _fighting..._

Who was...he...?

His eyes flew open. _Maou-sama_ _!_

" ** _Ftah...?_** "

* * *

Sariel groaned, and uncurled himself. His head was pounding, and his senses were so muddled he barely knew which way was up or down.

" **Easy, brother** _._ "

He looked up and blinked. Raphael stood over him, one hand extended.

" **Raphael...?** " Sariel breathed in Entean. He reached out a hand to take his, though he couldn't prevent a shudder at the motion; Raphael wasn't the most delightful person to be around.

He stopped when he caught sight of his own hand. " **Wha...What the...?!** "

These weren't his clothes! This wasn't his _body!_ When did he become so...so... _fat?!_

 _"_ **Raphael, what's happened to me?! Where -?!** " He looked up, and his eyes widened. " **Is that...Asbeel?!** "

" **Calm down, brother. I'll explain everything later. Right now, we're in the midst of the battle. You were hit pretty hard halfway through, and it's possible you might have lost memories as a result.** "

" **But...where are we?** "

" **Like I said, I'll explain later. For now, all you need to know is that we are engaged in battle with demons. The Demon King and his General.** " Sariel gasped, and looked up again. Sure enough, there was the Demon King, currently battling Asbeel. Across from the two angels, another demon was staggering to his feet.

" **You must fight him, brother, whilst I go aid Asbeel!** " Raphael was already rising.

Sariel swallowed, and nodded. " **Understood.** "

The demon suddenly caught sight of him. " **Angel,** " it hissed, and it began to gather energy into his hands. " **Where did you come from?** "

" **I could ask the same of you,** " Sariel growled back, swinging his scythe. " **But it doesn't matter...all you need to know is that I'm here to take you down!** "

With a snarl, the demon leapt at him, and he slashed up with his weapon. Yelling, the two began to battle.

* * *

Raphael grinned, and lazily floated over to the policemen, who were getting to their feet and just starting to notice the fighting again.

"Officers!" he called out, arms spread in surrender. "Hold your fire, I come in peace."

He drifted down to land on top of one of the police cars. "Officers, an enemy is attacking us. My colleague and I are here to stop it and protect all of you, but we need your help. Quickly, call on your radios, and-"

" _Hands in the air!_ "

Suddenly every gun, out of the ones that were left after Alciel flung them away, were trained on him. Not expecting this, Raphael raised his hands. "Hey, hold on a minute, I'm one of the good guys! What're you yelling at me for?"

" _Put down the stick and g_ _et down off the vehicle!_ "

"Hey, now, it's a staff, not a stick-"

" _I said put down the stick!_ "

Raphael gritted his teeth. This wasn't going like he planned. And now more police were arriving, and seeing the situation, they got out of their cars and started pointing guns at him as well.

"Fine. I didn't need you anyway." He swept his staff before him, and the humans cried out as a blast of wind blew them all backwards, flipping cars in the process. He pointed his staff at the nearest human, and even as he cowered and threw his arms over his head, the staff glowed, and a ball of energy shot towards him.

There was a blur, and just before the shot hit Raphael saw a huge shape materialize in front of the human. It disappeared in a cloud of dust and smoke, but when it cleared, there was Satan, hunched and bleeding in several spots. His red eyes glittered with anger. Behind him, the human scuttled away.

Overhead, Raphael saw Asbeel trying to fly down to Satan, but Emilia blocked him each time. He lowered his gaze back to Satan, only to yelp and duck as the Demon King swiped at him, his claws burning with red energy. He jumped back out of the way, breathing hard.

Satan took that moment to twist around to the humans behind him. "If you value your lives, you'll pull back your forces and start evacuating everyone in the hospital," he growled.

Dumbfounded, the human merely nodded. He started shouting orders to the other policemen who at first hesitated, but then started running away from the battle and around the other building, to where patients, visitors, and workers at the hospital alike had begun to gather.

Raphael slung his staff across his shoulders and grinned. "On that note, thank you for letting me know just how much you care about these humans. All of a sudden, I've got 1,000 hostages."

" _You won't touch them_ ," Satan hissed. "The only thing you're going to do is explain what you've done to my General."

"Nothing much. Just wiped their memories and made them think they're fighting each other." As if to emphasize his point, a barrage of green energy was thrown at the scythe-wielding angel behind him, and the two fighters continued to shout at each other in Entean. "You're not the only one who can manipulate memories, Demon King. Perhaps you remember yesterday evening...or maybe you don't. There was quite a fight then as well, between Lucifer and Asbeel."

Something struck a chord within the depths of Satan's mind, and he realized with a jolt that, now that he thought about it, there was a portion of his memory that just didn't sit right. He'd noticed something, didn't he? When he was talking to Lucifer...or did he?

"Of course, I couldn't have the humans going into a panic and on high alert, not with all the fear and despair you'd be getting out of it, so I tidied up a little. Wiped the minds of everyone in the city, healed their wounds, and fixed their buildings, really dreary work. Took a hell of a lot of unnecessary energy too, you should be thanking your subordinate. This is more or less the same thing, just a lot more fun."

A thought suddenly occurred to Raphael, and he put a hand to his chin, tilting his head as if studying the scene. "You know..." he said slowly, "it might be fun to watch you and the Hero go at it, too. What do you think, Demon King? Up for bit of a re-enactment?"

His hand flicked, and Satan winced and clapped a hand to his neck. When he drew it away, he saw a needle between his fingertips.

Raphael crossed his arms and said the same incantation as before. Satan gave a shout and grabbed his head, doubling over.

"Raphael! What are you doing?!"

Asbeel landed a few feet away from him. Raphael held up an arm excitedly. "Just wait, Asbeel. Quickly, get out of the way. This is going to be good."

On a dented car not too far away, the Hero Emilia lay groaning, one arm dangling off the edge. She looked up in a daze to see the Demon King give a long, deep sigh, and straighten. His eyes caught hers, and widened.

" ** _Teko..._** " he breathed quietly, but Emilia heard him.

"Demon...King...?"

Balls of red energy began to curl around his fists, and lips curled back in a snarl. And suddenly Emilia was faced with a very familiar scene, one she hadn't had to face for over a year. But for the first time, she didn't want to fight.

"Wait...don't..."

The Demon King lowered himself, ready to attack. Emilia set her jaw, and pushed herself to her feet, her sword held before her. It seemed like there was no going around it. She moved her body into a stance.

Behind her back, one hand curled slowly around the hilt of a dagger.

* * *

 **RN:** I don't know what y'all see when you picture Satan changing in a phone booth, but from the outside I imagine him dashing into the phone booth, and then a minute later the phone booth explodes because he's too big to fit in it in his demon form, and it shows he's only halfway through changing, like only one leg through his pants or something. Hahaha, I had a good chuckle over that.

~I meant to get this chapter out once I'd finished the next three chapters, but that's taking longer than I've thought, plus I've hit a busy point in my life, so I figured I'd go ahead and put this out there before this becomes a three-month hiatus. Not to say that it'll necessarily _take_ two months for the next chapter to get out, but I'm leaving room for myself.

~This was really American of the police to react this way, Japanese police are way more calm, but for the purposes of this story, I made them a little more high-strung.

~If y'all don't recall what Maou is talking about when he was remembering the time he talked to Lucifer, he's thinking of the scene in Chapter 5, when he's sitting with Lucifer and listening to sirens go by. I figured Raphael wiped everyone's memory a little bit after that, around the time Maou was going to work. Hints of Raphael doing a city-wide memory wipe also comes up in Chapter 6, when Ashiya was trying to tell Suzuno about his time in the market place, but couldn't really remember it.

~Finally, some action! I'm having a lot of fun writing the fight scenes. Tell me what you think in your reviews!

Translations: **Jfeem afac hte pepokiej ow hte enepiej I jee, zkinv zayr hteik pinxj ho hteik jhahe ow hfo ceakj majh/** Sweep away the memories of the enemies I see, bring back their minds to their state of two years past.

 **Ftah...?** /What...?

 **Teko** /Hero


	10. Confrontation Part 3

_Before..._

Maou snapped the phone closed and tossed it back to Emilia. "We have only about fifteen minutes max until the ambulance arrives, so we have to move quickly. Suzuno, you asked why I warned only Emi...the simple answer is I didn't want to risk too many people finding out about the spy and possibly letting the spy know we were on to it. The more complicated answer is...well, I won't get into that right this moment. Now, Ashiya, help me pick up Urushihara. We're moving him to your apartment, Suzuno. Leave the blankets. You three, go help Suzuno prepare a futon in her apartment."

When they'd moved the weakened demon, Maou turned to Emilia and said, "Hero, come here. Stand still."

It took fighting down every instinct she had to comply; she felt very vulnerable letting the Demon King approach her with her guard down so easily. She grew even more apprehensive when he placed a hand on top of her forehead.

"This may feel a little weird, but you'll get used to it soon enough."

She closed her eyes when she felt a strange cold feeling, like a curtain of water washing over here from the Demon King's hand. She shivered, partly from disgust, for it had a distinctly slimy feel to it. She hoped he wasn't covering her in some odd mucus, though she wouldn't put it past the damned demon.

" _Ehhhhhh?!_ "

Emi's eyes snapped open. Ashiya, Sariel, Chiho, and Suzuno were all staring at her in shock, Chiho surprised most of all.

"What?" She looked down on herself.

" _Whaaaat?!_ "

Chiho's plump bosom bounced cheerfully back at her. She patted shocked hands up and down Chiho's uniform, and tugged on Chiho's hair.

"What did you do?!"Emi clapped a hand over her mouth when she heard Chiho's voice come out instead.

"This is so weird," she mumbled through her fingers.

"...Is that really what I look like from the outside?" Chiho asked in a small voice. Suzuno patted her shoulder and gave her a smile.

"Calm down, it's just an illusion," Maou started.

"It feels pretty real to me!"

"Well, that's the _point._ You see -"

"What do you mean that's the point?! Do you have some sort of weird fetish or something?!"

"What, _no!_ Just let me explain!"

"I'm having really bad feelings about what you're going to say next!"

Maou gave an exasperated sigh. "We're going to catch Raphael off guard," he said, before Emi could put another word in. "He wants us to meet him at the hospital, that's what we're going to do, but not in the way he'll expect."

He explained to them his suspicions that Raphael worked as a doctor in the hospital, and that he wouldn't pass up a chance to see Lucifer again.

"That's why we're going to give Lucifer to him." Maou's form shimmered, and an exact copy of Lucifer replaced him, even down to the bloodstains on his shirt. "At least, we'll let him think that. We also can't assume he won't have a trap or two waiting for us. This way, we'll bring Raphael right to us before he realizes what we're doing."

More than having herself speak and hearing Chiho's voice instead, it was far stranger to hear Lucifer's own light tone with Maou's confidence. She'd never heard the fallen angel speak in anything more than a drawl. She decided not to think too much about it; she was already getting a slight headache.

"That still doesn't explain why I have to go in as Chiho-chan."

"Raphael in all likelihood knows who you are, Emilia, so as soon as he recognizes you he'll be on guard. But it's possible he hasn't seen Chiho before. Ashiya, you'll be less noticeable in your human form, and even if he does recognize you, it's possibly he won't think you're a threat looking as you are now. That's why you two are going to go into the hospital with me, and look for whatever angel's with Raphael. Sariel, you'll need a more covert way to get in, since Raphael will certainly recognize you. I'd suggest you disguise yourself."

"Why not cast another illusion over him as well?" Suzuno asked.

"You have no idea how much concentration it takes to maintain an illusion over myself for a long period of time, let alone another person. Two other people is just too much. Now..."

Maou walked over to Chiho and gave her a concerned look. "Chi-chan, before it might have been dangerous to let you go home and be by yourself, but now I'm thinking it might be worse if you were to stay here. Besides, your mother must be worried sick by now."

Chiho shook her head immediately. "I'm staying," she said resolutely. "I called my mom a couple times earlier, and I convinced her to let me stay longer."

Maou smiled, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "All right. Then you'll be here, with Suzuno, to look after Lucifer. Should anything happen to him while we're gone, like another seizure, I'll need you and Suzuno to take care of him."

Chiho nodded. "I'll...I'll do my best!"

"Okay. I'll need you alone to stay here while Suzuno and the others go to the other room with me. Suzuno, as soon as the ambulance comes and picks us up, you'll join Chiho, okay?"

"I understand." Suzuno followed Ashiya and Sariel into the other apartment.

Emi caught Maou's arm in the hallway before they could go in as well. "Demon King, stop. After we go into the hospital and find Raphael and the other angel...what do you plan to do?"

She'd held a nagging suspicion that, for all his appearances and smoothness in issuing orders, Maou still didn't have the same cool, rational mindset he normally had, especially when it came to planning something. It was only confirmed by the frown that tugged down Lucifer's mouth.

"...I'm going to warn him not to come near my family ever again," he answered quietly.

"Is that all?" she said challengingly. When Maou didn't reply, she went on, "I know you're still angry, Demon King. I can feel it." She held up his fist, which was trembling, and he tugged it irritably out of her grip. She let him, and her own hands fell to her side. "I want to beat up those angels just as much as you. But we're going to a _hospital_. Even if the people try to evacuate, there are going to be some people who can't leave. I won't let you endanger the lives of those people in a fight."

Maou's - or rather, Lucifer's - expression only got harder. Then, to her surprise, he said, "Then I want you to promise me something. It probably won't be very hard for you to do so, actually."

For some reason, she only got a sinking feeling in her chest. "...What is it?"

Maou bit his lip. "You're right...I'm still angry. I've been feeling the urge to punch something ever since this morning, and it's only gotten worse since then. I honestly don't know how much control I have over myself right now. I want you to promise me that if something happens, if I lose control during this fight, and I happen to put people's lives in danger as a result, no matter if it lets the other angels get away, I want you to stop me. By any means necessary."

Emi was speechless. "Demon King...I..."

" _Promise me,_ Emilia."

Emilia closed her mouth. Then she crossed her arms and smirked. "Heh, you need me to promise something so easy? I made that promise a long time ago, and I still haven't given up on it."

Maou snorted. "Good." He walked away, into the hole in the wall.

Emi let her smirk drop. _You're wrong, Demon King,_ she said silently, and that sinking feeling only deepened. _That_ was _hard...more than you or I thought._

* * *

Now, at the hospital, as she faced her enemy in an all-too-familiar scene, she felt his words ringing on her ear. _By any means necessary._

Her hands curled around the dagger hidden in her armor. Yet even as red energy gathered into the Demon King's hands, she hesitated.

 _Why? Why do I hesitate?_ It should have been easy for her. It's what she'd trained for, after all, from the very beginning. It was why she _existed._

But he was...

 **Mama, don't!**

Alas=Ramus' voice suddenly rang clear and stern in her head. **Don't hurt Daddy! I won't let you!**

"Alas, be quiet," Emilia hissed.

 **No! I won't let you hurt Daddy! Please, Mama, don't hurt him!**

"He's going to attack _us_!"

 **No he won't! Daddy wouldn't hurt Mommy! So please don't hurt Daddy!**

Seeing that intimidating cloaked figure about to attack, fangs bared and a guttural growl emitting between them, it was very hard to believe the words of her daughter. But then something shifted about him, so imperceptibly she almost missed it.

" **I'm not going to miss this time.** " Maou grinned wickedly. " **Trust me.** "

Emi's eyes widened. Then, as the Demon King let loose with a scarlet blaze of energy, she threw herself to the side and rolled off the vehicle. The torrential attack hit instead the two angels standing off to the side behind her. With dual cries of pain, they were blasted into the hospital wall and beyond.

Emi leapt to her feet, breathing hard. She gave a wary look to the Demon King as he floated his way over the debris to her side, his face smoothed into its usual seriousness once again.

"We don't have much time till they recover, so we have to act fast. I'll take care of Sariel and Alciel, you attend to the angels."

"Before that, explain yourself, Demon King," she said tightly.

In answer, Maou held up a needle between his fingers before snapping it in half. "This is a poison to alter the memories of the victim. It seems Raphael wanted to wipe my mind and make us fight each other. I just caught it before it could hit me, and faked the symptoms. Good job on recognizing that by the way."

"Recognize _what?_ " Emi growled. "I was just dodging your attack!"

The Demon King looked stunned. "Oh. Um, well, good thing you did!" He gave a sheepish grin.

"I thought I was going to have to kill you!"

"You'd have liked that, then, wouldn't you?" he replied dryly. "But don't worry. No need to take me down just yet."

Emi glared at him, but she did no more than take a deep, calming breath through her nose.

The Demon King flexed his hands. "In any case, I think it's time for our back-up plan."

Emi nodded. At that moment Alas=Ramus chose to call out again. **Daddy, are you okay?** **Mommy, thank you for not killing Daddy! Ask Daddy if he's okay!**

Emilia sighed. "Demon King," she said, stopping him before he could float off again. "Alas wants to make sure you're okay."

A pleased grin broke out on his face, and he struck a proud pose. "Of course Daddy's okay, Alas=Ramus! Daddy can't be beat by the likes of those Heavenly idiots!"

Alas giggled. **I-di-ots** **, i-di-ots!**

"Will you stop that?" Emilia snapped at Maou. "When you teach her bad words, _I'm_ the one who has to tell her not to say them! Get going, you bad influence of a father!"

" _Excuse_ me?! If anyone's a bad influence, it's you with your bad attitude! Do you know how much more violent she's gotten since she started living with you?"

They probably would have continued for much longer had there not been a sudden blast of green energy lighting up the pavement between them, and Emilia just managed to dodge an energy bullet aimed straight for her head. She leaped backwards through the parking lot, heading to where the angels had disappeared into the building.

Alciel landed besides his king, looking much worse for the wear. He panted harshly as he held his arm, and his glare was absolutely livid as he raised his hand again in the direction Emilia had gone. " **My king!** " he shouted. " **Are you hurt? I apologize for my lateness, I was preoccupied with another angel and allowed the Hero to get that close to you...!** "

" **Get back here, demon!** " A cry sounded from the side, and both demons turned to see Sariel brandishing his scythe, ready to swing it down on them both. But before he could, a blast of red, fire-like energy struck him in the chest and sent him tumbling towards the ground.

" **Well shot, my king! Now all that's left is the Hero, and we can-!** "

" **Alciel.** " The Demon General barely had time to react before he was swept around by Maou, who grasped him by both arms and stared at him eye to eye.

" **M-my king?** " This was very unlike the Demon King to do; perhaps he'd done something wrong?

" **Listen carefully, Alciel,** " Maou said seriously. " **Lucifer's gone and bought himself a DVD player, and it's put us 50,000 yen in debt.** "

The reaction was instantaneous. " _I'm going to murder that useless black hole of a demon when I get back home!_ " Alciel shrieked, before putting a hand to his head and groaning. "What... _N_ _g_ , what happened?"

"Steady yourself, Alciel," Maou said, switching back to Japanese. "You were hit with a memory-altering poison. I just brought you back by causing an extreme emotional reaction. Take a moment to get your bearings straight while I take care of Sariel."

"Wha—Maou-sama, what's going...?"

Maou left him without another reply and landed next to the groaning angel, hoisting him up much as he did Alciel. " **Sariel,** " he started.

" **Release me, heathen!** " Sariel spat.

Maou ignored him. " **Kisaki loves you. She told me,** " he said.

All hostility melted away in an instant. Sariel gazed up wondrously at the Demon King, and sparkles seemed to shower down over the lovestruck angel. "Did she really?" he asked breathlessly.

"No." Maou dropped him carelessly to the pavement.

Heartbroken, the angel didn't even notice the pounding headache that followed.

"Stop whining. You've got a more important job to do."

"Huh?" Sariel scrubbed away his tears. He frowned up at the demon. "You mean...you want to go through with Plan B?"

There was obvious reluctance in the way Satan nodded. He pursed his lips. "I was hoping I could get a chance at him while he was at full strength...but it's obvious he's too dangerous for that. We should finish him off as quick as we can. Alciel and I will slow him down enough for you to get him."

Sariel nodded. As he gathered up his scythe again, he shot a more uncertain look at Maou. "About the dagger...Do you think the Hero will be able to pull it off?"

Satan was already in the air. "For all our sakes, she'd better."

* * *

The lower levels of the hospital were completely deserted, though Emi could still hear panicked voices and rushed footsteps faintly above her. The impact crater had been empty of bodies, angel or otherwise, and though the lights a few hallways down from the crater still illuminated the floor, the area close to the hole was all but pitch black, with only the occasional fizzling of broken wires. She crept cautiously out of the destruction and deeper and lower into the building, her sword held before her, the Demon's Frost dagger gripped loosely in her other hand.

She could sense the angels were nearby, but she couldn't tell exactly where. She swallowed at the thought of them suddenly jumping out at her, and every trickle of rubble made her start and whirl around.

She quieted her breathing, which had begun to grow heavy in the dark, and extended her senses, listening. Her footsteps were silent, even over the tiled floor laden with stone and dust. Her fingers twitched around their respective handles, ready to drive their blades into any body that would-

 _Snap!_ Emilia hissed as a tiny shock leapt from the handle of the dagger to her thumb. She glared at the blade in her left hand, her thumb twitching slightly, and warily rubbed the digit along the leather hilt, testing it. _Don't you dare start now..._

She rounded one corner to another open hallway, where the lights were knocked out halfway down, throwing the corridor into an eerie setting. She stuck to the shadows, darting up to each door and peering through either the windows or open cracks for enemies. When she'd reached the point where darkness became light, she paused, then stood up straight, and a moment later walked into full illumination. Oddly enough, the energies of both angels had disappeared. She frowned, and backed up a few steps. Perhaps she'd passed down the wrong direction?

Then she stilled, feeling the presence of a figure behind her. Before she could give the other a chance to attack, she dropped low, twirled on her heel, and brought her sword down...

...right in front of a little boy.

The child shrieked and jumped backwards, back behind an abandoned cart where he'd been crouching. Emi gasped and pulled back her blade, a hasty "Sorry!" already falling from her mouth, but the child was already backing away, clearly about to run.

"Wait!" Emi stashed away both her blades and ran after him. She easily caught up and maneuvered herself in front of him, grabbing him by the shoulders to stop him. "Hey! Shh, shh, I'm sorry, I'm not here to hurt you."

The boy didn't listen, squirming desperately in her grip. But Emi, having had months of experience with Alas=Ramus, easily kept a hold of him and twisted him around to look at her again.

"Look at me, _look at me!_ " When the boy's frightened eyes met her own, she gave an encouraging smile. "Hey. I'm sorry I scared you, I didn't mean that. I thought you were...uh...someone else."

The boy seemed to believe her, and instead of trying to escape he merely stood there, eyes searching the floor. Emi tilted his chin up again.

"Hey. Are you all right?"

After a moment, the boy nodded.

"I'm Emi. What's your name?"

The boy looked to the side. "A-Aito."

"What are you doing here, Aito? The hospital's evacuating."

Aito sniffed. "Th-There were explosions...and everyone was running...I was...I wanted to get out, but there were a lot of loud noises, so I...um...I ran down here and...um...I hid in that room until the noises stopped." He pointed to the room next to them, a darkened space filled with a number of indiscernible objects. Next to the door were printed the words _Supply Room/Equipment._ "I, uh, I saw a map of the hospital once. And mom said if I were ever lost with nobody around I should at least find, um, lots of supplies. Um, just in case."

Emi looked back at him. "How old are you?" she asked.

"Eight."

"Eight, huh?" Emi patted down his hair. "That was quick thinking, Aito. You oughta be proud of yourself."

A brief smile flashed at the praise. Emi checked around them, then returned her gaze to the boy. "I'm gonna get you out of here, Aito. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Aito shook his head.

"Good. Is it all right if I pick you up?"

He nodded, and she lifted him easily. They went down the corridor towards the light, and turned down a corridor that still had all the lights on. This seemed to ease the boy somewhat, and his breathing, which had been quick and shaky before, evened out.

Emi looked down at Aito. "You said you saw a map of the hospital before. Do you know the way out from here?"

"No, but...um...you can just follow the exit signs." He pointed to the green signs at the ceiling.

Heat flooded Emi's face. _Naturally_ it would be like the subways or her office. "Of...of course! I knew that."

She set off at a walking pace, following the green arrows down every turn. Left, right, left again...it was a winding maze, one that Emi would have never gotten out of on her own without the signs. The silence was a little unnerving, as Emi could tell from Aito's tightening grip around her neck, and she tried to ease the atmosphere through conversation. "How come you're at the hospital, kid?"

"My mom's seeing a doctor. She has check-ups every three months."

"What for?"

In response, Aito's face grew troubled, and his voice grew quieter. "Mom won't tell me, but Dad says her heart's not good."

Emi was starting to feel like she'd picked a bad topic. "Oh. Um, well, if she's seeing a doctor, that means...she's getting better, right?"

Aito buried his head into her neck, and sweat began to gather at Emi's brow. "Well, I mean, even if she isn't, it's not like she's getting any _worse,_ right? _I mean..._ she's gonna...Look, she's gonna be okay, alright? Your mom sounds like a good person and...well...good people...live. The world has a funny way of doing that sometimes. So I think she's gonna be okay."

Emi was quite certain she'd ruined the situation, but she could only run out her words. Aito was silent for a long time, and there was no doubt in Emi's mind that the boy would be glad to be rid of her company once she got him topside. But to her surprise, as they approached an Emergency Exit staircase, he mumbled quietly, "Thank you...Auntie..."

Emi's eyes widened, then softened, and she patted the kid's head. Then she frowned, suddenly realizing what he'd said, and muttered, "I'm not that old, kid."

They came to a stop in front of the staircase door.

"All right, one flight of stairs and we should be out."

But just as she said that, a sudden chill seeped down her spine, and the strong presence of an angel invaded her senses. She didn't need to turn around to know that the giant form of Asbeel was slowly turning the corner.

Carefully, Emi set the boy down and put herself in front of him. "Aito...do you think you can find the rest of your way out on your own?"

"I...I don't...Aren't you coming too?"

Emi dropped to her knees again and looked him in the eye. "Listen, kid. You'll be fine. Just run up the stairs and follow the signs until you're out. Then find a police officer, or someone else who can help you. Keep out of danger till then." When the boy still appeared reluctant, she added, "Your mom's probably worried sick about you, yeah? You gotta hurry up and go back to her. You've got a good memory. Use that, and you'll be back to her in no time."

Aito's gaze flitted to behind her and back again, and he seemed to grasp some handle on the situation. He gave a tiny nod, though fear still stiffened his limbs, and dashed through the door as soon as Emi opened it.

Emi rose, turning her gaze at last to Asbeel, and summoned Better Half. Asbeel regarded her somberly, though his blue eyes dropped to her left hand when it drew the second blade from her belt. Emi fought back a wince as it sparked again, and she reaffirmed her grip around the handle. If she were correct, this would be her final test.

* * *

The humans were still being evacuated, though the process was going faster with the aid of the police force. It seemed not many more patients were left, but Maou could still see movement in the windows. He tsked. He'd hoped the humans would be a little faster...With them still around, he still wouldn't be able to go full strength.

What's more, the energy of both angels had disappeared. It was highly unlikely they'd perished from that one attack, so maybe they'd run away...or, more likely, they were hiding. Maou didn't know what could allow them to hide their energy so completely, but regardless, it meant they could attack from any direction.

Unless...

He raised his head, and drew in a long, deep breath through his nose, eyes closed in concentration. He sniffed the air for a few seconds, before his slitted gaze opened and dropped onto the middle of the building, which was empty of all humans. Raising an arm, he shot a fiery ball of magic towards a window on the top floor.

Right before the ball struck he glimpsed a figure dodging out of sight; a second later, the entire room exploded, showering down bits of glass and flaming wood and stone. But by that time Maou had already teleported to the other side of the building, just in time to see Raphael leaping clear of the explosion. The angel was coughing and holding up an arm to shield his face, and didn't see Maou until he was already upon him.

With a yell, Maou brought his fist down, but the angel, despite his injuries, was too quick, and dodged it by a hair's breadth. Just as he twisted out of the way, however, another series of red blasts of magic rained down on him, and he cried out as he was struck in the wing and leg. Twirling his staff, he blocked the rest of the attacks and sent back a few in return. He was too preoccupied, however, to notice Alciel coming up behind him until it was too late. The Demon General whipped his tail around and cracked Raphael across the head, sending the angel flying through the bushes at the edge of the parking lot and beyond. He dug up a sizable trench in the dirt before he finally stopped. As he struggled to sit up, he saw a third figure silhouetted against the half-moon. That was all the warning he got before a purple beam struck him.

He gasped, not at the impact, which was hardly noticeable, but at the sensation which came afterwards. It felt cold and draining, like something essential inside him had suddenly been washed away. He felt his power level diminish, not enough to be concerned just yet, but Raphael knew it would only take a few more hits like that for him to be drained completely.

 _So this is the infamous 'Wicked Light of the Fallen', huh..._ Raphael grimaced. He used his cane to block the next couple of strikes before rolling to his feet and leaping out of the trench. At the top, he stumbled, and his eyes widened; he'd taken more damage than he thought. As he turned, swaying slightly, to face the two demons and angel touching down before him, he looked down disappointingly at his cane.

"So your ability drains Holy Energy even through an angel's weapon, huh?" Raphael muttered. Weariness edged on his tone. "I should've guessed..."

"Give it up, Raphael," Satan said. His eyes were oddly calm. "Now that your energy's been drained, you're not nearly fast enough to avoid our attacks any more. And even if you try any more tricks like the one before, you know they won't work for long."

No…Upon closer glance, Raphael saw the twitch in his lip, heard the rigidity in his voice. Underneath that blank mask, the Demon King was seething. A wide grin pulled back his mouth. "No?" he breathed.

Satan lowered himself into a fighting stance. "I'm giving you this one chance to surrender. Give up trying to get Alas=Ramus, and I'll allow you to return to Heaven with half your limbs still intact."

Raphael's head gave a little jerk, like he was shaking off a fly. He leaned heavily on his cane. "I like to think I'll be getting out of this with _all_ of my limbs, _plus_ the fragment of Yesod."

The Demon King's claws curled. "Fine then. We'll leave out the part with the limbs."

"That's what _you_ think." Raphael threw something in the air. There was an explosion, and a black, heavy smoke suddenly filled the air. As it enveloped Satan and the others, a thick, acrid scent suddenly filled his nostrils, and he clamped a hand over his nose and mouth, choking. His eyes streamed, and he rubbed at them fruitlessly with his other hand as he squinted through the smoke. Vaguely he could feel Raphael's energy disappearing again, and he quickly swiped through the air with one hand. Instantly the smoke was swept aside with the sudden wind that was cast up, and as it cleared, he saw Sariel and Alciel besides him, but no sign of the other angel. He cursed.

"Start searching," he ordered. "He couldn't have gone far."

Nodding, Alciel jumped in one direction, while Sariel flew off in the other. Narrowing his eyes, Satan made for the hospital.

He had a feeling the Hero would need his help.

* * *

Hero and angel stared at one another, neither showing signs of making the first move. Emi had already formed a fighting stance, while Asbeel elected only to stand there and stare at her with icy blue eyes that, if she were to be completely honest, seemed to hold a certain reluctance to them. In that standstill moment, Emilia reflected that she'd never heard of an angel with blue eyes before, and a part of her was curious to know why. Perhaps it had come with age, or maybe he'd been one of those 'mutations' she'd heard about among demons. It would certainly explain the hair, and the frightening size and power.

If he was a mutant, Emilia prayed to whomever was still on her side that he was the only one.

"It will not work on me."

Emi jumped, more at the broken silence than anything. In truth, Asbeel's deep, rumbling voice held a surprising softness to it. It only added to his gloomy image.

She drew her thoughts back to his words. "What do you mean?" she asked at last. "What won't work?"

Asbeel's gaze flickered briefly to the dagger again. "Surely Sariel must have told you what it means to wield that weapon. Considering your human heritage, I am impressed you've managed to carry it into the throes of battle at all. But even if you do manage to use it, you cannot hope to defeat me with it."

"And what makes you so sure?"

"Because I am immortal."

The Hero snorted. "There's no such thing."

Asbeel's expression betrayed nothing. "Believe what you will. But you will see for yourself, once you attack, that your efforts will ultimately go to waste."

"Consider me an optimist," Emilia snarled. She ignored the several sparks that stung her left hand.

Asbeel gave a long, heavy sigh. "I truly did not want it to come to this," he said quietly. "Us, fighting you, endangering the lives of those around us...It would have been much simpler had you merely cooperated."

"Forgive me if I find that hard to believe," the Hero said, her voice hard. "You've been itching for a fight ever since you got here, don't bother denying it. But I figure it'd be typical of a monster like you."

"I am NOT A MONSTER!" Asbeel suddenly roared, and Emilia flinched, retreating a few steps, her blade held defensively before her. His giant hands curled into fists, and his breathing stumbled with rage.

"You don't know what I've _sacrificed_ for your kind," he hissed. "I used to care for humans. I still do! I fell in love with a human woman! And see how my love has paid me!"

He raised his fists, and though there was nothing there, the unmistakable sound of chains rattled with the movement.

"I've been imprisoned until the end of time, my name slandered, called a monster, _the Forsaken,_ " he sneered. "All because I loved a human rather than my own kind. Why must that be wrong? Why must I be punished for such a thing?"

"Sariel said you killed five angels," Emilia said, her voice trembling. She couldn't help herself; it was like staring down the barrel of a gun about to fire.

That seemed to draw back the angel's wrath for a moment. His eyes returned to their mournful disposition, and his fists lowered. "Yes," he murmured. "I wish things could have been different. I regret their deaths every day." He raised his head, and a desperate light entered his eye. "But you must understand, they left me no choice. I truly didn't want to, but I had no other alternative."

"How could you not have a _choice?_ " Emilia asked incredulously. "If you're as immortal as you claim to be, then there should have been no reason for you to have to fear them!"

"You don't understand. It was not my safety I feared for, it was the safety of the humans." Asbeen opened one hand, palm up and inviting. "I would have thought you, of all of them, would understand that."

" _Me?_ "

Emilia wanted the conversation to end five minutes ago. She was certain Asbeel was only stalling so that Raphael could ambush her from behind. She had yet to feel the other angel's energy, but that did little to provide her comfort; in fact, if anything, it made her more high-strung. Yet she could not tear herself away from Asbeel's words. His story was becoming more complicated by the second, yet Emi couldn't help the nagging feeling that she was getting closer to something important.

"Asbeel...why is Heaven after the fragments of the Yesod?" she asked. It was a gamble, she knew, but Asbeel seemed to be in a telling mood, and despite his appearance and previous actions, a small part of Emilia held the thought that, maybe, Asbeel didn't entirely share the same goals as Raphael.

Asbeel was silent, as if considering whether or not to answer. All the while Emilia did her best not to waver from her stance. Years of training kept her body firm and ready to move, but inwardly, she was screaming. Her rationality told her to forget the entire conversation and attack right then and there, while Asbeel's guard was lowered - maybe then she'd have a chance. But another part of her wanted to know.

"For peace."

Asbeel's reply broke suddenly through her thoughts, and for a moment she almost missed it. It was so completely different from what she was expecting she almost didn't believe it. But the giant angel seemed quite serious. More than that, he seemed almost distasteful of the word, for some reason, as if he didn't entirely agree with it.

"What do you mean, peace?" Emilia asked cautiously.

Asbeel opened his mouth, but a different voice cut through.

"The peace of all living things."

Asbeel and Emi turned to see Raphael walking casually down a separate, cane resting easily on his shoulder. His hair and clothes were somewhat ruffled, and a slight trickle of blood ran down the side of his head. Though his face was calm, a cold fury shone in his eyes.

"Human, demon, angel alike," he continued, coming to a stop not too far away from the others. "All of us, finally, with the peace we all deserve."

"Why do I get the feeling your idea of peace is a lot different than mine," Emi growled. She'd shifted her stance to face Raphael, though she kept a blade trained on Asbeel.

Raphael scoffed. "I'd never expect you to understand," he said softly. He lifted his cane off his shoulder and pointed the crook at her. "But it doesn't matter; we're not here to teach you of our plan, we're only trying to put it into motion. And to do that we need that fragment. So _hand. It. Over._ "

Emi narrowed her eyes. She flipped the dagger in her hand into a more defensive position, and curled her lip in a sneer. "Maybe if you _beg._ "

Raphael let out a growl of frustration, and a white bullet of energy shot from his cane. Right before it hit her, a figure blurred in front of her and the bullet exploded in his chest. The figure was left groaning and stooping slightly from the impact as smoke sizzled off his skin.

"I'm getting real tired of doing that, so I suggest you learn to dodge," the Demon King coughed, massaging his chest. "Even if they don't do any damage to me anymore, it's annoying to have to keep catching them."

"I was just fine!" Emi retorted. "If you're getting tired, that's your own fault!"

"Some gratitude towards the person who just saved you," the Demon King muttered.

"I never asked you to save me!"

"Enough!" Raphael bellowed. He pointed his cane at the Demon King like a sword. "Get out of the way, Demon King. I've lost my patience for games."

The Demon King crossed his arms. "I've been serious this entire time. If anything, _you're_ the one who's been playing around."

" _Shut up!_ "

The Demon King frowned, and gave a somewhat concerned look to Raphael. "How long are you going to keep this up? Your Holy Energy's nearly depleted after Sariel's Wicked Light of the Fallen. Now that you're no longer a threat, Asbeel will be no match for all of us working together to take him down. You might as well retreat."

"As amusing as it would be to see you try and take on Asbeel, I'm afraid we're too short on time for that," Raphael said dryly. "And besides, who said I'm no longer a threat?"

There was something uneasy about the way he said that, and Emilia fidgeted. Raphael held his staff before him horizontally, taking hold of it with both hands. A cold wind began to blow through the corridor.

"I didn't think I'd end up using this move, but I guess I shouldn't have expected any less with the Demon King," Raphael said, as his staff began to glow. "And since I'm running low on options..."

Emi shifted from one foot to the other. "Demon King, I think..." She didn't have time to finish her sentence as a loud humming started up.

Raphael closed his eyes. " ** _Dudael._ "**

Everything went black.

* * *

Emi uncurled herself from where she'd flinched and shielded herself from whatever attack had happened. She blinked, then brought a hand to her face. It was pitch black. Whatever happened, the lights had been blown out, and it was so dark she hadn't been sure she'd actually opened her eyes at first.

She shivered. She was suddenly aware that it was freezing, wherever she was, so cold that, when she next tried to draw breath, it squeezed its way into her chest. She felt as though she were being smothered in an icy fog.

"Where am I," she gasped. Her arms folded tightly around herself, and she struggled not to drop to her knees. " _Where am I?!_ "

" _In a word, Hell._ "

Emi jerked her head up, searching blindly all around. That had been Raphael's voice...but from the way it had sounded, it was as if it were coming from multiple directions at once. Vaguely she could tell he was speaking from above her, somewhere, but everywhere she looked was the same. Black, black, black.

"What do you mean, Hell?" she demanded, a little more strongly. Having an opponent to talk to seemed to let her hold on to a little sanity. "What did you do to me? Why can't I see?"

The voice let out a heavy sigh, as if it were impatient with her, but it was tinged with weariness. " _You know...I've been plagued by a question,"_ it said. " _What makes a power 'Sacred'? What is 'Holiness'? Is it a title, a privilege, bestowed by Heaven upon only those worthy of God? Or is it merely a name to separate one class of power from another? Perhaps it depends on the environmental source from which it's drawn...or upon the individual. After all, an angel, being pure and Holy by nature, is able to make use of all forms of Holy energy, yet is simultaneously incapable of even touching Demonic energy. Unless, that is, they fall._ "

"What makes you think I care about any of this?" Now that her mind wasn't so preoccupied with the dark and the cold, she mentally made a quick scan for Alas=Ramus. Perhaps the sword could provide some light...She felt immediate relief when she detected the familiar presence of her daughter still within her mind, but the girl had gone strangely quiet and refused to respond to Emi's attempts to contact her.

" _If you did care, you'd be wondering how on earth I was able to send you here._ "

Emi stilled. She remembered the Demon King saying something about Sariel's Wicked Light of the Fallen, which had sounded successful. But if it had, then Raphael shouldn't have been able to...

" _If Sacred energy were a Heavenly-bestowed privilege of only the most worthy, then it makes sense that all angels and some humans are capable of utilizing it,_ " the voice continued. " _After all, Heaven extends its influence even to the Human World below. But as the Human World is influenced by the Demon Realm as well, would it not mean that humans are, therefore, capable of utilizing other forms of energy as well?_ "

"Then...This darkness is..." _It couldn't be..._

There was a strange whooshing sound, and suddenly Raphael's voice was being spoken directly next to her ear. "If my Sacred Energy is depleted, yet I'm able to summon a power of this enormity, it should follow that my **Dudael** isn't Sacred...right?"

Emi lashed out in the direction of the voice, but hit nothing. Only half her mind was on the fight, however; the other half was whirling with realization.

 _It can't be Demonic energy...can it?_

There was no way...he was pure angel...But there was no denying the depths of his spell. Whatever he'd done...it took far more energy than he'd been giving off only a few minutes ago.

Suddenly the darkness seemed all the more foreboding. Again she tried to summon Better Half, and again she found she could not.

Eyebrows furrowed, Emi stopped trying. It was clear Alas was actively resisting her summoning, and she trusted her daughter's judgement. She settled for extending her senses instead, like before, only now it felt as if she were in a gigantic empty space with no end in sight, while an invisible mist had settled all around, muffling every sound and feeling.

All the while, Raphael continued to talk. " _I didn't just experiment with poisons in Heaven. I experimented with energy as well. Just as the demons feed off the energy of their realm, so do angels draw power from Heaven. Since our very essence ties in with Heaven, we are able to access it wherever we are, no matter how far. Demons, on the other hand, are drained of their strength once they're separated from their realm, and must rely on a secondary source to replenish it. Why? Why are they so different? What makes one fundamentally separate from the other?_

 _"No one seemed to be able to tell me, not even God. Or maybe God just refused. But it occurred to me that one could change how they receive energy, as in the case of fallen angels. Following that, I assumed one's ability to manipulate certain energy forms stems from one's own inner being, so that as long as your very presence was Sacred, your energy would be the same. But humans on the other hand...ah, you're all a fascinating bunch. Capable of both Sacred and Demonic energy alike, albeit in rather meager amounts. You, Hero, you're only as powerful as you are because of your archangel heritage. Compared to an angel, a human is but a wisp. Yet why is it, when they dabble in the Dark Arts, as they're so fond of calling it, that humans are able to conjure and make use of Demonic energy, which no pure angel can touch except when they fall from grace?_

" _I assumed the answer would have to come from oneself. Humans are a mixture of nobility and corruption. I believed I would therefore have to corrupt myself in some way, not so much that I would be overcome and end up fallen, but just enough that I could access the other end of the energy spectrum."_

"So is that why you're such a huge jerk? So that you could use Demonic Energy?" Emi started to run, not caring where she ended up, just as long as it was somewhere. Nevertheless, the voice continued to follow her whichever way she went. A brief grin tugged up her mouth. "Or are all angels just born that way?"

The chill seemed to deepen, and Emi's breath caught in her throat. She continued to run regardless, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her weakened. But it was difficult to run when she could see nothing, not the ground or the sky, not even her own feet. After only a minute she stumbled, dizzy, and fell to her hands and knees.

Immediately the voice seemed to pounce, for the whooshing sound returned, and she got the feeling of someone standing right over her.

"It took centuries, but finally I was able to do it. I altered myself, slowly, over time, molding my own psyche until it carried a single, hidden flaw, one that couldn't be remedied no matter what words or medicines were used, yet small and subtle so that no one could notice it. No one else is aware of it except me. And once I'd done it...I found I'd opened a world of power I'd never dreamed of before."

His voice was getting more and more muffled. The cold was pressing in all around her. She couldn't speak...couldn't breathe...Vaguely she got the sensation of a breath against her ear, and she flinched away from it.

"My **Dudael** is only the beginning, Hero of the people. Let me show you what I'm really capable of."

Suddenly a white light shone all around her, and she briefly registered the sound of someone shouting her name before she passed out.

...

"Emilia."

...

" _Emilia._ "

Something was tickling her face. Emi contracted her brow, and the scent of dirt and sawdust hit her nostrils. Carefully she cracked her eyes open, shutting them again at the brightness that met them.

Someone chuckled. The sound of it sent an inexplicable rush of affection and sadness running through her chest.

She opened her eyes again, and blinked several times. She was lying on her side, among a bunch of straw-colored...wavy-things. She tilted her head sideways, and was met with a clear, blue sky, except for a few small clouds that passed overhead.

Slowly she sat up. When she did, her mouth fell open, and it took a couple of seconds for her to register what she saw.

The wavy-things brushing her face had been wheat. She was sitting in a wheat field. Beyond the edges, rolling green hills scattered with trees made up the horizon, and not too far from her, a simple wooden house sat lazily in the heat, inviting and waiting for her to enter. It wasn't possible.

She was home.

"Finally up?"

She turned. A figure sat behind her, his face obscured by the sunlight. She rose, shielding her eyes with one hand. His face came into view.

She gasped when she recognized the figure, and tears immediately came to her eyes. Her throat closed, and for a minute she couldn't get out any sound, except for a few wet chokes. She wanted to run to him, throw her arms around him, but she could only stand there and stare. Finally she swallowed, and her tongue unstuck itself.

" _Papa?_ " she whispered.

* * *

 **RN:** See, it didn't take me two months to get it out. It took three.

...I feel like I've made that joke before. But I'm going to stop apologizing for how long it takes me to get these out (if I haven't already) since it's obvious that's a trend that's not going to change any time soon. I _will_ give excuses, though, so here you go.

This whole scene is a _huge_ pain in the ass to write, mainly because I'm trying to tie up a lot of loose ends in basically one big fight scene, and I'm worried that's making it seem like I'm dragging things out. Mental note to self, work on pacing in the future. Please tell me if you feel like things are going too slowly, are losing momentum, or just plain don't make sense, and I'll do my best to speed things up a little. On the other hand, if you feel like things are going fine, and you actually want more, tell me that too, and I'll be sure not to cut any scenes :)

Another thing I'm worried about is being too cliche about the emotions and scenes and stuff. I try to add twists and dry humor, kinda like the show, but I'm not sure how much I succeed, and the twists sometimes only end up confusing myself (Another note to self for future writing). Basically, I'm asking for feedback, but I guess that's what I ask for in every chapter...

~For those of you who don't know, Dudael is the name of the prison into which God orders Raphael to cast Azazel, among other fallen angels. Others can fact-check me on this, obviously, but the gist of it is it's a prison for fallen angels, cast in complete darkness.


	11. Test

She took one step. Then another. Then she was running, jumping, falling into the arms of her father. Her father who she'd been certain was dead all this time.

She hung onto his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. In that moment she was no longer Emi Yusa, or even Emilia Justina, Hero of the People. She was just her father's little Emilia, a farmgirl who was scared and relieved and joyous and devastated all at the same time.

Her father hugged her tightly in return. His rough whiskers scratched horribly at her cheek and neck, and she laughed through her tears with happiness. How she'd missed it when they did that.

"Emilia," he murmured softly. "My little Emilia."

Finally Emilia released him. She scrubbed away her tears and mucus, then did the next thing she'd been wanting to do all this time.

She punched him. Hard. In the face.

" _Ow!_ " He tumbled head over heels and landed ungracefully on the dirt path by their field. He put a hand to his cheek indignantly. "Emilia! What was that for?"

" _You stupid father!_ "

Tears streamed down her face, and she didn't even care as she towered over the man, her expression a mixture of rage, relief, sorrow and happiness. Her hands balled into fists. "All this time…where were you?!" she shouted. "You sent me away, and I trained for years and years to become the protector of our people, when all I wanted to do was go back home! Then when I finally got to go see you again, our farm was burnt to the ground, you were nowhere to be seen, and I thought you were _dead!_ And you've been _alive_ all this time? _Where were you?!_ "

Her father sat there, stunned, but when she said nothing more, only stood there breathing hard, he sighed and rubbed his chin.

"I'm sorry, Emilia," he replied. "I wish I could give you a good excuse, but I can't. I'm sorry I put you through all that." He looked up at her, and smiled warmly. "I missed you."

Emilia's breath hitched, and her face crumpled. She sank to her knees in a boneless heap, the stress and grief repressed over the years suddenly flooding forth. She didn't resist when her father came over and put his arms around her, sinking back into his familiar scent, the feel of his embrace as comforting as it had been since she was a little girl.

"It would seem we have a lot of catching up to do," her father murmured. "Why don't you start from the beginning?"

* * *

"EMILIA!"

Maou flew through the darkness, searching for any sign of the Hero. Any sign of _anyone._

It shouldn't have been possible. This realm, wherever it was, felt as though it were born of Demonic energy, something that should have been impossible of an angel. But there was no mistaking the familiar feel, as well as the fact that he'd been able to absorb a small portion of it, which he used to heal his wounds.

It was incredibly dark, yet, with his keen eyesight, Maou could pick out very, very faint outlines in the blackness. They'd be brief and almost impossible to catch, like shifts in the corner of his eye, but he could tell they were there. There were small changes in the air as well; he could feel them pass over his face and body as he flew. And finally, there was the tiniest snag in the environment. It couldn't be exactly placed, but there was an unmistakable wrongness to the area, as if everything in existence had been shifted over somehow. He knew that feeling all too well, and it confirmed his suspicions from the moment everything went dark.

He was in another dimension.

Far from being worried, Maou was slightly relieved. Even if casting this place didn't take up Holy energy (if that were possible) Raphael couldn't possibly have been strong enough to put him and Emilia in two different pocket dimensions, nor could the dimension they were in be that large. That meant, if he searched long enough, he'd eventually find Emilia.

Keyword, _eventually._ Despite his ability to pick up on discrepancies in the air, it was all too easy to get turned around in this dark, and though he was _pretty_ sure the area wasn't that large, he had no idea how big it actually was. His only hope was that he was close enough that Emilia could hear him, and they'd somehow run into each other. If Raphael didn't catch up to her first.

One thing was for sure; flying blindly was doing him no good. Maou drew himself up to a stop and floated downwards until he'd touched the ground. He conjured a ball of energy to rest in his hand, and a part of him felt relief at the light. The light didn't illuminate very far; he could see his hand and body, but little else. Certainly nothing showed up beyond him, only dark. He crouched, bringing the ball of energy close to the ground.

He frowned. _This_ was interesting. If he wasn't mistaken, the ground seemed distorted, but unmistakably bore similarities to the tile floor of the hospital. What's more...if he moved, the floor seemed to move with him, as if he were walking in place. The tile had a unique speckled pattern, made distinctive by a large blackish blot in the corner of one pasty white tile, and he made sure to keep both eyes on that one blemish as he moved. Sure enough, even as he broke into a run, the dot didn't move.

He slowed to a stop again, and raised his head.

He had a feeling he knew what was going on. He rose to the air again. He was getting closer, he could feel it. If only he could lock onto her energy...

"Emilia," he murmured. "Whatever you do, don't give in."

* * *

"I see." Her father sat back, a thoughtful expression on his face. "So that's what's happened."

They had moved to the hill next to the road, under the oak tree where they normally ate their lunch. Emilia had drawn up her knees and rested her chin on top of them, her gaze drifting over the fields of wheat.

Her father grinned. "Well, I guess I should offer congratulations. I mean, I'd always wanted grandchildren, but I never expected you'd get together with someone so soon..."

"It's _not like that!_ " Emilia just about hit her father again in outrage. Her father put up hands in surrender.

"I'm only joking," he chuckled. "Although...there's no chance I could meet this Alas=Ramus, could I? I'm rather eager to meet my granddaughter."

Emilia shook her head. "Sorry...I think she's tired. Maybe later."

In truth, Emilia had been trying to contact Alas=Ramus ever since she woke up in the fields. For some reason her daughter had been strangely silent, stubbornly maintaining that wall she'd put up between herself and her mother. Even as she answered her father she was trying to coax her daughter out of hiding, but it seemed Alas was having none of it.

"Ah, well, that's a pity. I suppose once she's had a nap, we can try again."

He sniffed the air, then smiled at Emilia. "You must be hungry. I was just making supper. Care to join me?"

Emilia's stomach chose to growl at that exact moment. She grinned sheepishly. "Sure," she said, gratefully accepting the hand he extended to her as he passed by.

She could smell something cooking as they drew nearer to the house, and it only intensified her hunger pangs. When she sat down, her father fiddled around the stove for a minute before returning to drop a plate of steaming food in front of her.

A nostalgic smile touched her lips. Her favorite curry. It wasn't curry like she had in Japan, but more of a thick stew of potatoes, carrots, and of course, lots of meat. Blowing gently on her food, she took the first bite in her mouth and hummed appreciatively. She'd forgotten how good it tasted.

Tasting it brought a sudden flood of memories, and tears were prickling her eyes again before she could stop them. She set down her spoon and hurriedly dabbed at her eyes, because she knew if she let them fall, she wouldn't be able to stop again. Her father only smiled as he dug into his own plate.

"Good?"

Emilia nodded, sniffing. "Really good." She picked up her spoon again, and it wasn't long before she was scraping her plate clean. Her father refilled it with a second helping, and it was gone almost as soon as the first.

"It's good to see you've still got the same appetite," her father commented, filling her plate for the third time. He'd just barely finished his first, and returned to the table with both plates in hand. Emilia took hers eagerly.

"So tell me, Emilia," he said, chewing, "what is it like living with your sworn enemy? It must drive you crazy."

"I don't _live_ with him," Emilia corrected, her tone disgruntled. "I have my own apartment. We merely share the same city, that's all. I decided to stay there to maintain watch over him, make sure he doesn't cause any trouble."

"And eventually defeat him, right?"

Emilia hesitated, to her own surprise. "I...Yes, of course. I'll definitely defeat him," she said firmly.

"Hm."

Her father scraped around his plate, gathering another spoonful. "From the sound of things, you've toned down your revenge a bit. Maybe even gotten a bit fond of him."

"I am not _fond_ of that _demon!_ "

Emilia slammed her fists on either side of her plate, making it jump and rattle. Her father didn't react, instead swallowing his mouthful and gazing at her with an unreadable expression.

"I... _tolerate_ him. It's necessary. He's not a threat right now, so there's no need to kill him just yet..." she trailed off. She sounded as though she were trying to convince herself more than anything. "Besides...Alas=Ramus sees him as her father. She won't allow me to kill him."

Her father set down his spoon. There was the smell of smoke in the air, and Emilia glanced at the stove. He'd left it on, and smoke was rising from the base of the curry pot.

"He's the Demon King," he said quietly. "You swore to defeat him."

"I know," she insisted, though it tightened her chest to say so. "I will."

"But you've had so many chances already, and you failed to take every single one of them. Are you sure you're as committed to our cause as you say you were?"

"Of _course_ I am!" But the words felt hollow.

Her father extended a hand, reaching for her own. He sighed, rubbing his thumb along her knuckle, and when she looked up he was gazing at her with his eyebrows drawn. "Emilia," he said slowly, "I understand. It wasn't fair, shoving you into the care of the Church like that. Making you leave your home, forcing all of that responsibility upon you...I wouldn't wish it upon anybody. Least of all my own daughter."

Emilia stared at him in shock. Yes, it was true she'd hated having to leave from the beginning, and at times felt the weight of her purpose sitting heavily in her heart, but she'd accepted that it was all for the greater good a long time ago. Even her own outburst earlier had been more out of the shock of seeing her father than anything.

"It's all right...Really," she insisted. "It was hard, I'll admit that...But I got over it. I grew up. I believed that that was my life from that point on, and I was fine with that. And even when I was feeling weighed down, Emerelda, Albert...I had friends who would pick me up. Keep me going. It was my purpose. It _is_ my purpose."

Her father was silent for a moment, then brought a hand to her cheek, his hazel eyes searching her own. "Not anymore," he said.

A beat passed. "What do you mean?"

Her father smiled. "I was wrong to let them take you, Emilia. I'm sorry for letting you go. But it's okay now. The Demon King is powerless, trapped in that other world, and from what I understand, he seems like he's not leaving there any time soon. You don't have to worry about him any more." His eyes grew pleading. "You can come home."

Emilia drew herself back. In all honesty, the idea had never occurred to her. She'd thought of returning to Ente Isla eventually, but only after the Demon King had been vanquished once and for all. And even then, she never thought she'd go back to the life she once had...Now, though, she had her father back. Her home, her fields were back. And the Demon King had changed, hadn't he?

But...

"No, I can't," Emilia found herself saying. "If I do, then..."

"I know." Her father nodded understandingly. "You'll have to give up Alas=Ramus. But you don't have to worry. She'll be in good hands. The Church will take care of her, perhaps give her to a new Hero. You don't have to shoulder that burden anymore."

Her face became pained. "Papa..."

"Give up Better Half," her father went on, urging. "Let someone else take care of Satan. The demons will die, and we'll be able to live together again, like we did before. We can be happy. That's all you ever wanted, isn't it?"

Emilia wasn't sure when she'd removed her hand from her father's grip. But now she stared at him with a mixture of uncertainty and apprehension. She couldn't tear herself away from his words, yet underneath all that, there was an uneasy feeling that was growing.

They sat with their gazes unbroken for what felt like a long time. The smell of smoke was getting stronger, and her eyes finally flickered to the stove. "Papa, I think the food is burning," she said, almost stoically.

That seemed to break the spell, and her father took the time to check behind him. He turned back with a sheepish smile. "Looks like it is," he replied, and got up to put out the stove. Whatever thick intensity had been surrounding him vanished with the movement, and she found herself breathing easier.

Her gaze moved to the window, searching past the fields to the trees beyond. There was nothing there but the wheat, swaying gently in the wind. How odd. She could have sworn she heard someone calling her name...

"Emilia."

She jerked her gaze back to her father. "Huh?"

He snorted softly. "How's Alas=Ramus doing? Still asleep?"

"Uh...I think so. Sorry..."

Her father smiled. "Don't worry about it. Let's go for a walk, eh? See the rest of the village. I'm sure you must miss it."

"The...village?" Memories of charred, blackened husks of houses, burnt and barren fields...these were the first things that came to mind when she thought of her village, ever since Lucifer's attack. But if her house had come back, then...

"It's rebuilt?"

Her father nodded. "Mostly. Still a bit of work to do, and not everybody's returned, but..."

Then, just like that, it all came flooding back for her. Her neighbor's faces, the shade of the trees she used to lie under, the sounds and smells of the marketplace, the merriment of the townspeople as they went in and out of their shops and houses...An ache she hadn't even realized began to abate, and she smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

She followed her father out the door, closing it behind her once they'd gotten outside. It was strange, but...now that she thought of it, it had been rather quiet lately.

* * *

"Thank you! Have a pleasant day!"

Emilia smiled and bit into the apple she had just purchased, giving a small wave to the vendor before she followed after her father through the marketplace. It was better than she could have imagined. Though a few houses showed signs of repair, it was almost exactly as she remembered it, right down to the mud staining the walls and steps. The crowded streets, the clamor of advertisements…The longer she walked, the more she fell into her old, familiar pace, including even the twists and side-steps she would regularly take to avoid sellers carrying mounds of their wares or children running past her knees. She waved to those who recognized her and called her name, returned old greetings she thought she had forgotten entirely.

It was as if she had never left.

They walked the town at a leisurely pace before stopping to rest at a small hill that overlooked it. From this distance, the voices of the people below were a faraway murmur, scattered from time to time by the rustle of the wind in the leaves.

"It's taken time," her father said, "but we've healed our wounds from the war, little by little."

"It's beautiful," Emilia agreed. From here they could see beyond all the way to the distant forest and the mountain ranges behind them. The rivers and lakes sparkled with sunlight, and the smell of the trees and the smoked meat from the town drifted with the wind.

"Everyone's happy that you've returned. It gives them hope, to think that the war against the demons might truly be over."

Her heart chilled a little at his words. Her eyes were only for the spectacle before her, but she heard him shift to face her.

"Of course, we both know it's not over. Not really. Not as long as the Demon King and all his generals live."

That was precisely what she had been hoping he wouldn't say. Even though she had prepared a response, the words felt heavy in her mouth.

"The Demon King can't hurt anyone anymore. He won't. He's…changed."

Suddenly her father's voice was right next to her ear. She wanted to face him, but she found herself frozen in place, unable to turn.

"You know he's the enemy, right?" he said, his tone low. "His General Lucifer burned down our village. Our home. Don't tell me you've forgotten."

The smell of smoke grew stronger. Orange flickered before her eyes, and suddenly they were watching an inferno rage. Her town, farm, her home, the wheat fields, the oak tree...All of it was ablaze.

The laughter had turned to screams. When she looked to the town, the people were running, chased by goblins and demons wielding terrifying weapons. Blades flashed in the firelight, and blood splashed against the cobblestone. Her heart wailed at the sight, yet she could not do anything but look.

She was crying. Whether it was from the acrid smoke or from her own fury and sorrow, she could not tell, nor could she tell when she had begun, or if the tears had always been there. It felt as if they had been staining her face for years, etching permanent grooves down her cheeks for them to run. And it seemed to her they had gained voices of their own, shouting every fear and regret that had been replaying in her head for the past year.

 _Why didn't you save them?_

 _Why did you let them die?_

 _Why haven't you avenged them?_

 _Kill the demons!_

 _Kill the demons!_

 _KILL THE DEMONS!_

A trumpeting roar, right in front of her, jolted her from her thoughts. An ogre, clad in a jumble of spiky armor, stomped up the hill to the pair, its battle axe held before it. Fresh blood dripped from its edges, adding a gleam to the thick rust already staining the metal. As soon as it reached her it gave a guttural laugh, and raised its axe to the blackened sky.

It never got the chance to swing it down. A flash of light was all it saw before its vision split in two, along with the rest of its body. The cloven halves fell to the grass with a nauseating _squelch,_ and all that remained was Emilia, in a battle lunge and panting harshly. Black blood dripped from the stray sword she had just picked up from the ground.

A piercing laugh broke through the night. Emilia looked up, and saw him. The Demon General Lucifer hovered lazily just meters above her head, grinning widely at the carnage. Black wings unfurled, trench-coat flapping in the searing wind, a hint of a purplish glow about his slitted pupils.

"Now's your chance, Emilia," her father's voice came again. "Quick, while he's distracted! Use Better Half!"

But again Emilia could not move. She strained and fought against this strange paralysis that held her grounded, but she could not even lift her blade. By that time, Lucifer had already seen her.

"Ah, _Hero,_ " he giggled, and shot for her. Emilia gasped and instinctively ducked, at the same time bringing up her sword to block. There was a _clang_ and the sword was knocked from her hand, but miraculously, she had escaped harm. When she looked up, the Demon General had vanished. All around, however, she heard him calling her name, _taunting_ her.

"Emilia!"

"Come and get me, Emilia!"

"You're too weak, _Emilia!_ "

She whirled this way and that, trying to catch him. She heard him call once more…only this time…

"Emi."

She stilled.

There he was. Standing in the middle of the path as if he had hardly a care in the world. He wasn't even armored. Instead, the Demon King stared at her with almost a forlorn expression on his face, unguarded, clothed in only his cloak and…

Underpants?

Emilia blinked once, then twice, then felt her cheeks begin to redden. Her eyes traveled slowly down from his face to the offending garment, and her mouth opened slightly.

"You… _YOU HORRIBLE PERVERT!_ "

The Demon King jumped and raised his hands, but was too slow to block the punch that smashed him across the cheek. He flew backwards with a cry, then sprang back to his feet, a look of utter bewilderment on his rapidly swelling face.

"What was that all about?!" he demanded. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"How _dare_ you insult me with such… _obsceneness!_ Is this your new tactic to take me off guard? I knew demons were lowly sub-creatures who would try any dirty trick to beat their enemies, but I never thought you'd sink so low as _this!_ "

"Huh?" For the first time, the Demon King seemed to notice his attire. He looked back up at her, annoyance crossing his features. "Seriously? _This_ is what you're concerned about? I thought you might have gotten over it by now!"

Then he stopped himself abruptly, and shook his head. "Never mind that. Emi, you have to listen to me. You're being tricked."

"Don't listen to him." Her father stood just behind her, his face twisted into a mask of rage. "Emilia, this is your chance! This is the Demon King! Strike him down, now! It's the only way to save your village!"

"Emi, you know what this is. You're strong. Don't give him what he wants."

A jolt, like an electric shock, shuddered through her body. Her gaze wandered down to the blazing town again, where screams and pleads still echoed. Her empty hand flexed, tightened into a fist...then relaxed.

Her head drifted downwards. "Sorry, father," she murmured, almost too quietly for anyone else to hear. "I'm so sorry for everything. I'm sorry I didn't get here in time to save you. I'm sorry I didn't save everyone else. I'm sorry I've failed to avenge you all."

One glistening tear fell to the dirt. Her fist curled again.

 _Alas=Ramus,_ she thought.

Miraculously, her daughter responded. A glow began to build in her hand, and streaked out in a blade of light. Better Half twirled in her fingers, singing against the hellish air. Her father smiled triumphantly.

That smile turned to a frown when Emilia slowly, inexplicably, turned to face not the Demon King, but himself. Emilia raised her eyes, and the fire seemed to dance within them.

"You can take off that disguise now, Raphael. It won't work on me anymore."

Her father crossed his eyebrows in confusion, a stammer already on his lips. But at the Hero's glare, that told him she was far beyond convincing, he smirked instead.

"Ahh, and I was so close too." Her father's form shimmered, and the accursed angel stood in his place. Emilia's anger spiked, and she just barely managed to keep her sword from flying forward.

"All of this…my home, the town, my father..." her voice trembled, just a little, "...it was just an elaborate illusion designed to trick me. Trying to get me to summon Better Half so you could steal it."

Raphael gave her a pointed look. "Are you really so surprised at this point?"

In a flash, Better Half was at his throat. "I don't care what it takes, Raphael." Her tone was dangerously quiet. "I'm going to kill you."

Raphael merely chuckled. "By all means, keep trying."

There was something off about his smile. She felt a warning prickling her senses, and there was a movement in the air, like a cold breath, against her cheek. She reacted instantly, swiping to the side while at the same time leaping away. Raphael stood there, a snarl of disappointment on his face, his hand just grasping at empty air. To the side, the other image of Raphael dissolved into nothingness.

Raphael raised his wings, about to jump after her, but stopped short and choked at the giant hand suddenly clamped around his neck. Satan lifted him from the ground, his face impassive.

"This illusion…you've put us in another dimension, haven't you?" he said, while Raphael only kicked and strained. His face was turning purple. "I felt it from the start. I don't know how an angel like you is using Demonic energy, but contrary to what you think, it isn't going to help you. I expect it takes a lot of energy to keep up both your barrier _and_ a dimension of this scale."

His grip tightened. "Which means…you're at your weakest right now."

Raphael coughed, and gritted his teeth. He swung up with his staff, and there was a blinding light that made Satan close his eyes for just a second. When he opened them again, his hand was empty. He cursed and swung around to look for Emilia, and saw Raphael charging straight for her.

To his astonishment, Emilia hadn't raised her guard. Though her expression was a look of absolute determination, she instead reached behind her and withdrew a simple, silvery blade.

Raphael recognized it instantly. His eyes widened in shock, but he could not stop himself in time.

Emilia gritted her teeth. Electricity suddenly coursed up her arm from the blade, and there was an explosion of light and energy with the Hero at its core. Raphael was thrown back by the force, and even Satan tensed to keep his feet on the ground.

Raphael coughed, then gasped when he felt a loosening in his energy. He looked up, and saw the world beginning to crumble around him. Pieces fell from the sky, and the ground began to flake and crack.

"She broke through the dimension," he breathed. " _How?_ "

The world around them warped, and all of a sudden they were back in the hospital. Asbeel stood in the exact same spot as when everything vanished, a measure of shock in his hardened features. There was no fire, no blood, no smell of smoke but for the faint tinge of burnt skin.

Emilia stood, panting, between Raphael and Satan. Thin tendrils of smoke drifted from her hand, which was still crackling and shaking with the effort of holding the angel dagger steady. Black streaks smudged her hand and her forearm. The skin contacting the knife handle had turned an angry red, with blisters forming on her palm and fingers. Still she only glared at the two angels.

"All right, you bastards," she spat. "It's time for me to do the ultimate test."

* * *

 _"Emilia, spy outside. Test the knife."_

 _Those were the words Emilia saw carve themselves on the wall when she entered the room. As soon as she read them they disappeared, the wood smoothing over again, but by that time she'd already understood what it meant._

 _She'd still held the Demon's Frost blade in her belt. Sariel's words from earlier rang in her ear: "Humans and demons can carry it, but the moment they try to use it on something the crest activates and they get a backlash of magic."_

 _She assumed this meant if she carried the blade with the intent to attack. Perhaps the mere act of wanting to stab someone activated the seal. If that were true, this would mean the blade read the intentions of the carrier, and if that were the case...perhaps it could be tricked._

 _Outside, she'd found the location of the spy right away. A tiny anomaly, like a glitch in the feeling of her surroundings, easy to miss if you weren't looking for it. It'd placed itself under the staircase for the time being. Acting as if she were completely unaware, she traversed the staircase downwards and waited in the middle of the field for the Demon King._

 _When they began to exchange words, she waited for her chance. She'd have to make it seem as if she were throwing the knife at the Demon King - fortunately he'd thought to position himself between her and the spy - but without the intention to kill him. Hopefully the knife would focus on her intentions on the Demon King and not react when it hit its true target._

 _It was harder than she thought; even as all of this ran through her head, she was shaking with anger, for she'd truly felt frustrated and enraged at the Demon King's actions. It almost got to the point where she forgot completely about the spy and turned her attention on the argument, but she forced herself to focus. Instead, she used her anger, and when the Demon King made that careless comment, she channeled the fury that swelled up. Almost entirely on impulse, she snatched the blade from her belt and flung it at the Demon King. A part of her really wanted it to hit him - maybe that'd teach him to wise up - but the tiniest voice of rationality made her hold back just a tad. It was enough to say that, ultimately, she did not want to hurt him._

 _Naturally the Demon King dodged it (only a little part of her ground its teeth in disappointment) and the blade instead hurtled squarely into the chest of the creature hiding in the shadows behind him._

 _For a few seconds she waited, expecting a terrible bout of pain to follow, but when none came, her heart sagged in relief, and it was all she could do to make sure her body didn't follow suit. It was helped by the flood of angry words that had been building up in her chest all this time. But even as she let them stream forth, a part of her wanted to whoop with joy - they had a chance._

* * *

Emilia took one step forward.

Immediately there was another burst of light as electricity coursed down the blade and up her arm again. She bit back a scream. In her mind, it felt as though something were pressing against her consciousness, as if trying to shove her away. She merely growled and gave the dagger a shake.

"The backlash..." Asbeel murmured, astounded. "She's withstanding it?"

Raphael merely clenched his fists.

Against the pain, Emilia grit her teeth and tightened her grip on the dagger. _Listen up!_ she shouted internally. _Dagger, angel blade, whatever you are, I want you to obey me!_

The response was another electric shock, stronger than before. The pressure increased, as though the dagger was screaming its rejection at her.

 _Quit your whining!_ she snapped. _I, Emilia Justina, invoke my status as half-angel! My mother is Lailah, the archangel, and her blood and status runs within me!_

The dagger pulsed, but its efforts seemed weaker than before. The Seal on the dagger began to burn brightly.

 _You_ will _acknowledge me!_ Emilia's hair was raising with the hum of power building up around her. **_Seal of Heaven, I command you to submit!_**

There was a final burst of blinding white light, and every inhabitant shielded their eyes from the wave. When it faded, and both angels and demon blinked their vision back into focus, they saw only the Hero, hunched over, smoke rising from her body. Both blades dangled, as did her arms.

"Impossible..." Raphael breathed. Satan could only gape.

Slowly, Raphael got to his feet. But no sooner did he make the action when he was seized with an intense warning of bloodlust, and he jerked himself backwards. He was too slow, however, and cried out when something slashed him across the arm. Pain exploded in the limb, and he stumbled backwards, clutching it to himself and breathing harshly.

A wild grin spread across the Hero's face from where she stood, still in a lunge. Blood dripped from the angel dagger.

"You-!"

A blur, and Emilia was upon him again, both blades flashing. Raphael just barely managed to evade them, calling his staff to his hand. He directed it at the ceiling, and there was an explosion which shook the hospital. Dust and debris rained down on them all. Still holding his arm, Raphael jumped up into the dust cloud, escaping to the outside through the giant hole he had just made. Swiping away the dust, Emilia followed close behind not a second later.

"Raphael!"

Asbeel spread his giant wings, but he no sooner got off the ground then there was a hand clamping down on his ankle, and Satan suddenly threw him through the other side of the building.

"You haven't finished with me yet," Satan said lowly. With each step black magic rose like smoke off his form. "Raphael belongs to Emi now. I'll make sure you aren't able to help him."

Asbeel's eyes widened. His giant fists curled around the concrete rubble he was sitting in, easily crushing them into powder. With a yell, he threw himself at the Demon King. Satan was ready to receive him. He caught the punch easily and used it to swing around the behemoth once again. This time, Asbeel flew through the wall, back to the night air. He crashed into a police car, abandoned by the fleeing humans.

Maou was already at the edge of the hole. Before Asbeel had the chance to get up, he was suddenly right in front of him, a fist bearing down on his head. Red flashed in his eye, the wicked, murderous gaze of the Demon King.

"This is for _Lucifer!_ "

* * *

In the darkened room of the Sasazuka Village apartment, three figures lay sleeping in the center. Chiho had curled up next to the futon, where Urushihara still slept. Suzuno had opted to sleep sitting up against the closet, and her chest rose and fell evenly in slumber. But if there had been the smallest hint of trouble, she would have awakened in an instant.

Unknown to either of the two women, a hand under the blankets twitched. Slowly, one eye slid open, revealing a glowing, purple iris.

 _Maou..._

* * *

 **RN:** Ughhh...I feel like this chapter was literally dragged out of me. It was difficult to figure out just where to cut it off, but I decided this would be a good point. This whole fight scene has been going on waaaaay longer than I expected, but I figure that's actually how anime works. We're getting close to wrapping up now, though.

~Please point out any mistakes or contradictions you feel need to be fixed

~Anyone else enjoying the bizarre weather out there?

~And as always, please leave a review!


	12. Rescue

_'It burns…'_

 _He gasped for air, but couldn't draw in breath. But it still felt like he was screaming._

 _'I'm burning up…'_

 _It was like he'd been thrown into a lava pit and left to roast. Molten lead poured through every vein, paralyzing him, dragging him down deeper and deeper into the fire._

 _'Please, someone help me…'_

 _…_

 _Then there were hands, which grabbed his arms and started to pull him out. They were cold, but not icy. It spread through his chest to the ends of his limbs, chasing away the fire and soothing his burns._

 _He sighed. He could breathe._

* * *

He was floating. At least, that's what it felt like. It was too dark to see anything.

Wherever he was, it felt cool. Not chilly, but pleasant. Soothing. Something was fluttering against his skin, buffeting him around on a current.

It wasn't entirely comfortable, floating around with no control (it made him a little queasy) but it was certainly far better than earlier. He could breathe. That was good.

But as much as he would have liked to just float there, doing nothing (what a way to live…), he knew he had to move forward. Someone needed his help.

Someone…

He raised a hand sluggishly, and felt himself start to be dragged upwards. The world around him grew brighter. He started to open his eyes…

It was dark. But when he looked above him, the sky through the window was beginning to lighten.

Silently he slid himself from the covers. His eyes searched the room, then finally fell upon the object he was looking for. The knife on the refrigerator.

He took it, wincing at its coldness. Already he could feel it draining at his energy. But it was better this time. As quietly as he could, he stepped through the broken door to the outside.

There was a flutter of wings, and Suzuno opened her eyes. "What...?"

Before her was an empty futon.

She immediately snapped awake and shook the person next to her. "Chiho-dono, wake up!"

"Wh, What?" Chiho sleepily blinked her eyes open. "Suzuno-san? What's wrong?"

"We have to call Maou! Lucifer's gone!"

* * *

Asbeel panted, and blocked another swift kick aimed at his head. He flew a little higher, out of range, but crossed his arms to shield himself when a bullet of energy shot at him instead.

Something had changed. All of a sudden it felt as if he were on the defensive, when before he had been able to overpower the Demon King with merely one blow. There was a new look to his opponent; he seemed fiercer, stronger. But it shouldn't have been possible, with the humans gone and unable to give him energy…

He cursed. The Demon King had suddenly disappeared, and he couldn't sense him anywhere. He turned on the spot, his great wings buffeting the air around him. Something in the sky shifted, and he turned to look…

Satan, his red eyes flashing, brought down a heavy fist on Asbeel's head. The huge angel was sent careening to the ground, smashing into an abandoned police car. Dazed, Asbeel shook his head, trying to clear it, while Satan slowly landed before him. Black flames outlined his form, obscuring all but his scarlet gaze, narrowed coldly at him.

"Well, it seems like we've finally hit the turn where the hero reaches a new power-up and starts to overcome the villain," the demon observed.

"Shall I finish him off, my lord?"

The Demon General Alciel asked from his perch atop a street lamp. He and Sariel had found the others when their fight took them to the outside and jumped in to help, but had been quickly told by both Satan and Emilia to remain out of it. The fight had gotten personal, and though Alciel didn't like the thought of remaining on the sidelines while his king battled on his own, he recognized this was a fight his lord had to finish himself. There was something he was fighting for that Alciel had never seen before.

Revenge.

The demon king's thoughts usually comprised of only progress and strategy. It was such that Alciel once believed his lord was not capable of a hotheaded feature such as vengeance. But from the moment his king had begun his plan, Alciel recognized the look in his eye. Unlike their previous encounters, these angels would not be allowed to simply return to Ente Isla.

Satan's flames seemed to burn a little darker in response to his General. "You know the answer to that, Alciel."

"Understood." Alciel gave a short bow and remained where he was. Sariel had seemed only too happy to remain out of the fight, and sat atop a tree a considerable distance away.

Asbeel groped the edges of the wreckage as he tried to pull himself upright. "You…call _me_ the villain, devil?!" he growled.

"You nearly killed my friend," Satan replied, in a dangerous tone. "You broke into my castle, attacked my subjects, and tried to kidnap my daughter. I may be a demon, but your actions are more that of a villain than even a generic action movie with a low percentage of positive reviews!"

Alciel sighed and placed a hand to his forehead, but wisely chose against criticizing his lord's choice of intimidation tactics.

Asbeel tried to stand up, but his body felt oddly weary.

 _Why…am I having so much trouble…_

His clumsiness didn't escape the notice of his opponent.

"The humans are gone. Your source of power is leaving you," Satan stated. He tilted his horned head to the side. "And yet I'm still drawing energy. Interesting…I wonder where all this fear is coming from?"

It took a few seconds for the giant angel to realize what he meant. "You...dare..." He stood, easily lifting the car with one hand.

" _I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU!_ " he roared, bring the car in an arc over his head to smash down on the Demon King. Satan jumped back easily out of the way, but the car exploded in front of him, and he was forced to dodge to the side. Asbeel took that opportunity to attack, but Satan continued to evade, even blocking his blows from time to time. Even so, he continued to shout.

" _I HAVE NEVER BEEN AFRAID OF YOU! I FEAR NOTHING! I WILL FINALLY CRUSH YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL, DEMON KING SATAN!_ "

"You're _still_ on about that?" the Demon King asked incredulously. "I told you already, I'm not who you think I am! I'm a different Demon King!"

" _SILENCE!_ "

Satan jumped upwards to avoid a swipe, and landed atop the building. Asbeel followed, and landed across from him.

In that instant, Alciel blurred to stand between them. "My lord!"

"Alciel, I told you to stay out of this!"

"Forgive me, my lord, but my first and foremost duty to you as your General is your guard! I hope you will forgive my transgression of your order to uphold this duty!"

The Demon King almost smiled. As obnoxious as it could be in other contexts, the loyalty of his General was an admirable quality.

"Get back out of the way, Alciel. I'll take care of this." His order was firm, but not demanding. Alciel reluctantly lowered his offense and stepped to the side edge of the roof.

Asbeel started to go forward again, but Satan raised a hand. "Wait."

The giant angel halted.

"I want to get this cleared up once and for all. Raphael's been feeding you lies. I don't know what he's promised you, but it was probably something like the chance to finally defeat the Demon King once and for all, right? But the Demon King you know isn't around anymore. He died thousands of years ago. Raphael's been using you this entire time, using me as bait to get you to do what he wants. And whatever he wants, it's definitely not for the greater good."

This was not what Alciel expected at all. Why would his lord continue to negotiate with his opponent?

During the Demon King's speech, Asbeel's breathing had slowed, and he seemed to be considering his words. For a moment Alciel thought he was going to believe him…but then Asbeel curled his fists, and said, "You think it matters? You are still a Demon King. And I still have a duty to Heaven, to defeat their enemies and ensure their preservation."

"Duty to the ones who _imprisoned_ you?" Satan shot back. "Raphael might act like your partner in crime, but in the end all he is, is the hand on your leash. As soon as you've done your part Heaven will just throw you right back in, or worse, even dispose of you."

Asbeel gave a disdainful snort. "I would like to see them try." It was strangely boastful of the angel, who up until now had shown an almost reluctant temperament. "And do not lecture me about the likes of Raphael. I know what he is. However, I simply do not care. I do not care about this mission, nor what comes afterwards. All I desire to do…is kill _you_."

There was no changing his mind now, the Demon King realized. His only option, then, was to fight.

But just as the two behemoths were about to charge again, there came a scream from behind him.

"DEMON KING, LOOK OUT!"

It felt as if it were in slow motion.

When Satan turned, he saw Emilia about a hundred yards away, her eyes widened in horror and her arm outstretched.

In front of her was a bleeding and ragged Raphael charging straight for him, his eyes wild. In his hands, the angel wielded a silver dagger.

Alciel leapt forward with a shout, but he wouldn't make it in time. Meanwhile, the Demon King turned to intercept. There was no time to teleport. Magic gathered at his fingertips for a shield, but it was clear he was too slow to stop it. He clenched his jaw, preparing himself for the blow…

 _CLANG!_

A force sent the Demon King reeling to the ground. As he shook his head to clear it, his first thought was to check for his wound. To his surprise, there was none.

The he noticed the figure standing between him and Raphael. Silver hair covered their face. One arm held a blade aloft, which Raphael struggled against with his dagger.

It was not the Hero. Everyone stared in shock, until the soft voice of the slender figure broke the stunned silence.

"Honestly…This why I became a NEET in the first place."

* * *

The girl was unstoppable.

Raphael knew that if he were to slip up even an inch, he'd lose his head. From the beginning the difference in their skills was obvious. With her sword alone, she'd been a skilled and seasoned warrior, and a formidable opponent.

With both blades, she was a force of nature.

It infuriated him to no end.

He shouted as the dagger caught him on the same arm again, after he'd raised his staff to block her sword. She'd made several cuts already, and though he'd tried to heal himself between bouts, it was clear she wasn't giving him a chance to do so. With the combined drainage of his power after creating that alternate dimension and the blood loss, it was all he could do to keep dodging. It was no use negotiating at this point. The girl would have his life, and nothing else.

Sweat dripped down his chin, but still he raised his staff. Another burst of light illuminated the sky, and he tried to escape. But as he darted down, the cold chill of metal bit through his side, and he gasped in both pain and shock when he saw the Hero lunging forward, her eyes shut tight. She'd attacked despite being temporarily blinded, using her other senses to guide her.

 _What have we wrought…?_

This was Heaven's Hero, turned against him.

Far too late, he was just beginning to realize what that meant.

Still, she would not be able to attack straight again for another few seconds. He used them to escape around the other side of the building. He could hear Asbeel's fight with the Demon King still going on, and silently hoped he was doing better. He turned the building corner again…

He jerked back and narrowly avoided having his throat slit open by Better Half. The Hero had recovered far more quickly than he'd anticipated. He lashed out with his staff but she easily blocked. She whipped herself around just as fluidly, and her sword sliced him in half.

Or at least, that's what it appeared to do. Even as she did so, the image of Raphael dissolved into the air.

"I would have thought you'd learned by now, Hero." She darted her gaze upwards to see the real Raphael perched on the edge of a hospital balcony.

"You can't keep up that trick forever," she growled back. "You're going to run out of energy soon."

"Maybe so…but in the meantime…"

Suddenly his figure split into four copies, and they all jumped down to surround her at once. But Emilia merely grinned and raised her sword.

" _HEAVENLY ICE DANCE!_ "

Something akin to a blizzard swept up the four Raphaels in a whirlwind of ice and snow. Three of them dissolved upon contact, while the fourth—the real Raphael—yelped as his wings and arms began to freeze. To his alarm, he could feel his magic beginning to abate. Through clenched teeth, he managed to get out, " ** _Sacred Light of the Blessed_** _._ "

Blue-white flames enveloped his body in the next instant, spreading up his body and his wings in a wave. When they cleared away, all the ice had disappeared.

"Sorry," Raphael panted. "Holy fire trumps magic ice."

Emilia tched, and shot for him again. Raphael ducked, just in time, and the sound of a blade whistled over his head, slicing off a few hairs.

He was out of tricks, and out of time. He had to finish this. Building energy in his legs, he suddenly struck against the wall and shot out into the air. Emilia narrowed her eyes, now cautious. Magic built up in his staff, a humming picking up. The angel's arms were beginning to shake with the effort of holding his weapon steady. Before the magic hit its peak, he took one last look at the Hero's face.

He hated that look. Her face was cold, and focused. As angry as she'd fought, never once had he seen her lose control. It was as if she was certain she'd win. There was a disgusting confidence in that look, one that sneered at him from afar.

 _Filthy vermin…Don't you dare…_

Raphael gave an enraged yell, and swiftly flew downwards with his staff.

 _Don't you dare look down on me!_

Emilia let out a controlled breath as Raphael neared. **Alas=Ramus, get ready.**

 **Ready, Mama!**

The angel drew his wings up short, and struck down with his staff.

Right as he hit, her form shone with white light, and she brought up both blades crossed before her, swiping in dual arcs.

There was a screaming burst of magic, and the staff broke cleanly in two.

The horrified gaze of the angel met the level glare of the half-angel for an instant before the blast sent both hurtling to the ground. Raphael landed hard on the pavement and rolled several feet before coming to a painful stop. His crumpled wings flapped haphazardly around him as he struggled to raise himself. He looked up.

The charred halves of his beloved staff lay smoking some distance away from him.

"It's over, Raphael."

Emilia stood nearby. The arm holding the dagger hung by her side, the blade loose in her grip. Something had happened when she cut through the wood, a reaction of some sort. Now she could barely move her arm, though she was sure she could still fight if she had to.

Raphael could only continue to stare at his staff. It seemed as though he hadn't heard her, but a dark expression slowly came over his features.

"You…You _BITCH_!" he screeched, sounding more animalistic than human. "You _she-devil!_ That…God _himself_ …gave me that staff…you…"

Where he had once been so eloquent and articulate, now he could only gasp words. Spittle flew from his lips as they drew over his teeth in a snarl, his face twisted into a mask so enraged he seemed akin to the demons he loathed so much.

Emilia's eyes held no remorse. "You shouldn't have tried to take my daughter. You shouldn't have tried to kill me. But most of all, you _definitely_ should not have insulted me with my father's image."

She raised her sword. "Prepare yourself, Raphael."

The angel's hand twitched. "No…not _yet!_ "

Faster than her eyes could follow, he suddenly struck outwards with a blade he'd hidden in his sleeves. Emilia cried out as her arm was sliced open, and she dropped the dagger. It was immediately snatched up by Raphael. She stilled as he raised the point to her.

"You say you'll kill me," he rasped, "but I am going to make you suffer so painfully, you'll _beg_ for death!"

For the first time, Emilia felt a touch of worry at his words. There was a mad light in his eyes, one that said he was now desperate beyond reason. She'd driven him into a corner, and now he was baring his teeth.

There was a sudden crash, and she looked towards the hospital building. Dawn was beginning to lighten the sky, and though the sun was far from showing itself, the sky was light enough that she could see smoke rising on the other side of the hospital. Then, the figure of the Demon King appeared on the rooftop.

Raphael saw this as well. A thought seemed to occur to him, and the blade he was holding drifted downwards slightly. "Then again…maybe the vermin should go first!"

Suddenly realizing what he was about to do, Emilia quickly lunged forward with her sword. But as her blade hit its mark, once again the angel merely swept away like mist. Too late, she saw the real Raphael speeding to the rooftop.

She jumped up and cried out to warn the Demon King, but it was too late. She was too far away to stop Raphael.

Then blur flew over her head, and she stopped mid-air in shock.

"Is that…?"

The shock that followed sent a wind burst into her face, and she brought up one arm to shield herself. When she could open her eyes again, she gaped, stunned.

Raphael was similarly frozen, his arm trembling as the dagger he held fought in a stalemate against its twin, wielded by a white-winged Lucifer.

To her amazement, when the fallen angel raised his head, she saw his hair was the same color as Raphael's. He looked fallen no longer, but just the same as every other angel of Heaven, as if he'd never left.

"Lucifer…you've recovered already?"

Even Sariel had come out from his hiding spot. Though he remained a considerable distance away from Asbeel, he edged around until he was next to Emilia, and joined in the collective surprise.

The Demon King was struggling to his feet. Behind him, though one might think this would be the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation and attack, Asbeel and Alciel could only stand and stare.

Lucifer flexed his wings and straightened to glare at Raphael. With one easy movement he threw off is fellow angel, and Raphael stumbled to the edge of the building.

"Ahh, man…just when I thought I'd found the perfect life of playing video games and sitting around all day, I have to come rescue you all."

"I was winning, actually," Emilia snapped, taking the time to be offended.

"Lucifer…are you healed?" The Demon King looked at him with a mixture of relief and concern. Even after all the events that had come to pass, it still struck Emilia as strange for her sworn enemy to have such an expression.

"Well…mostly. Still a couple of spots that need fixing…"

And now she could see it. Even though the light was still dim, she could tell he was still paler than normal, and there was a touch of exhaustion to his tone more than his usual laziness. But most noticeable of all were the dark red spots on each wing, the color beginning to soak into the white of his feathers.

"Still, I have Raphael to thanks for the power boost. That barrier was like passing through a nice hot shower, you know?"

"Lucifer…that knife…"

Naturally, Emilia was referring to the Demon's Frost dagger in his hand.

"Hmm? This one?" Lucifer casually flipped the knife up by the blade and caught it by the handle. "What about it?"

"What do you mean, 'what about it'? How are you able to hold that thing?"

Considering his status as a fallen angel, and thus a demon, he shouldn't have been able to hold it for more than three seconds, much less flip it around in his hand.

Lucifer looked smug. "I can use it too, not just hold it. Well, I am an archangel after all."

"You're a _fallen_ archangel!"

"That doesn't mean I automatically lose my status! Remember how I handled those lackeys of Gabriel's?" he shot back. "I'll admit, it wasn't pleasant at first, since it pretty much drained me of all my demon energy. That's the whole point of Demon's Frost, after all. But afterwards, I was left with only Holy Energy, so carrying the dagger, as well as passing through the barrier, became no problem. Good thing we haven't run out of Bell's food..."

"Ho, is that why you have silver hair now?"

Lucifer scowled at the Demon King. "Don't remind me." He brushed some of it behind his ear.

He turned at last to the one who had been glaring at him furiously all this time.

"Raphael."

The mentioned angel still looked as wild as a war-torn soldier, but he straightened at his name. Some semblance of his previous calm had been regained, so that he could respond without trouble.

"Lucifer." Raphael raised an eyebrow as he gave the other a once-over. "Well, I have to be honest. You're looking better."

"Yeah, thanks to Maou and the others here." Lucifer was oddly conversational for one who was talking to the person who nearly killed him.

Raphael hummed and crossed his arms. "So, the Child of Light has finally appeared. I don't suppose you've come to order us back to Ente Isla?"

"While I do out-rank you, unfortunately one archangel can't give commands to another." Lucifer sighed like he'd been stripped of the chance to do something he really wanted.

"Then what? Will you join the battle instead?"

"Maybe. I'm not really up for doing hard work. But if I don't get rid of you then I'll never get to get back to ordering that T-shirt I saw online."

"You little—! After everything that happened yesterday morning, too!"

"Oi, I said no more spending until we got ourselves out of debt, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Lucifer pointed the knife at Raphael. "I'll make this quick. Raphael, I demand that you keep to your warrior's conduct. I challenge you to face me honorably in a duel, by all my rights and status as an archangel of Heaven."

The others gaped, for they had never heard such formal phrasing come from the shut-in, useless NEET of a demon. Moreover, they had never heard him refer to his angel background so directly before. Whatever these adversaries were, they were apparently important enough to force Lucifer to sound almost…responsible.

Raphael crossed his arms and retorted, "I can keep my warrior's conduct, easy. But what conduct can a _fallen_ angel have to make such a challenge of me?"

"If you're gonna be such a stickler about it, we can leave out the 'honorably'," Lucifer smirked. "Are you gonna accept my challenge or not?"

Emilia, meanwhile, sidled over to the last angel next to her. "Hey, Sariel, what's this 'challenge' entail?"

Sariel looked troubled. "I won't bother explaining all the details, since it's a bit complicated and involves a lot of rules in Heaven. But basically, if a matter cannot be taken up by Heaven's Court or resolved by other means, one angel has the right to challenge another in a fight, after which the loser must comply with whatever the winner demands or requests. It's a right reserved for only those of the highest rank, the archangels."

"That's not complicated at all," Emilia frowned. Humans in Ente Isla would often settle disputes in fights, whether official or not, when mere negotiating wouldn't cut it, and from what she understood it happened sometimes in Japan as well. And though Maou said nothing, the fact was that was how the majority of disputes were resolved in Demon World.

"So, basically, you're saying angels in Heaven are about as barbaric as humans or demons?"

"Wha—How dare you call us barbarians?!"

"Hey, Demon King, don't lump humans in with demons if you're going to say that!" Emilia scowled.

"I accept," Raphael declared, drawing everyone's attention to him. "However, I'm not going to fight you."

"…Doesn't that counter the whole point of the challenge?"

Raphael glowered at Satan, who had spoken. "I invoke the right to declare a second," he said.

Emilia looked to Sariel again, who explained, "When the challenged angel is deemed not fit and unable to properly rise to the challenge, they may have another fight in their place."

Lucifer pouted. "After all the trouble I took to heal myself and get over here, you're gonna cop out? Come on, I know the Hero's pretty scary, but there's no _way_ you were beaten up that badly..."

" _You want to repeat that to my face, you bastard of an angel?_ "

Lucifer winced. "W-Well, anyways, Raphael, what gives? I invoke a challenge for the first time ever, and you don't even give me the respect I deserve?"

To his surprise, Raphael's face only grew darker. Lucifer's eyes narrowed...then widened in realization.

"Raphael…where is your staff?"

When the other angel didn't reply, Emilia answered for him. "I sliced it in half just now."

"You WHAT?!" To everyone's surprise, it was not Sariel, or even Asbeel, but Lucifer who rounded angrily on the Hero.

"If I hadn't, I might have died!" Emilia snapped defensively, even as she was taken aback by Lucifer's reaction. "Why are you getting angry at me, anyways? Don't tell me you're siding with our enemy on this?"

"Weapons like Raphael's staff and Sariel's scythe are gifts from God," Lucifer replied harshly. "To destroy them is considered one of the highest offenses."

"Since when do we care about offending Heaven?" But for some reason, his words were making Emilia more hesitant, and perhaps even a little bit guilty.

The next moment, however, Lucifer's anger suddenly disappeared, and he turned back to Raphael, saying, "Then again…Even though Emilia is probably the most powerful human I have ever met, she shouldn't have destroyed your weapon so easily. To split your staff in half with her power alone…" He trailed off thoughtfully.

"You guys…you aren't actually here on Heaven's orders, are you?"

"Eh?"

"What?"

"How can that be?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense," Lucifer said, looking to Sariel, who frowned and nodded. "These weapons can be thought of as vessels of Heaven, which transmit their will. The stronger the command, the more powerful the weapon. Of course, most of the power comes from its own being or is fueled by the owner, but there's a limit to that. If Raphael's run out, then-"

A beam of light suddenly struck the concrete at Lucifer's feet. While Lucifer squawked in surprise, the others turned, already in their battle-stances, to Raphael.

"Enough talk," he spat. "You challenged us to a duel, Lucifer. So we might as well get started."

So saying, he spun the dagger in his hand and stowed it away in his sleeve. He spread his injured wings and leaped lightly over their heads to land behind Asbeel.

"I think it's obvious who my second will be. I find it fitting, don't you? One fallen angel versus another."

If Lucifer was worried, he showed no sign of it. "Fine."

"Hey now…" Satan creased his brow. "Lucifer, are you sure about this?"

"Even if I weren't, there's nothing that can be done now." Lucifer rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. "But you don't have to worry."

Alciel took the moment to step forward. "Lucifer…should you fall in battle, I will gladly step in to be your second."

"Ehh, really, Ashiya? That's pretty considerate of you…But don't you think Maou ought to fight instead?"

"What…Lucifer, are you doubting my abilities as a Demon General?!"

"Enough, Alciel."

Alciel stepped back at his lord's rebuke. "Yes, Maou-sama."

Lucifer maneuvered himself so that he stood across from Asbeel. "Sorry, Alciel. Even if I wanted to accept your offer, I couldn't. Neither you nor Maou would be allowed."

"What? Why not?"

"Only another angel can be a second," Lucifer explained. "In this case, the only possible option would be…"

As one, all heads turned to Sariel, who blanched.

"…Our world is doomed."

"Yep, definitely doomed."

"Oi, Lucifer, make sure you win. We won't be getting a second chance."

"H-Hey! What's with all this show of no faith whatsoever?!"

Lucifer gazed thoughtfully at Sariel, as if seriously considering him, before saying, "In accordance with Heaven's laws, my second would normally be you. However..." His gaze moved to Emilia. "...Lailah was an archangel as well. Which means, Hero, as her daughter...you technically qualify."

"But I'm not an archangel," Emilia said.

"Ehh, the rules are kind of vague in that area, to be completely honest. I'm sure it'd be fine."

He stepped forward on the rooftop, their arena. "Now we just have to hope that it won't come to that."

"Why? You think I wouldn't be able to take him?" Emilia said at once.

"N-No, I just don't want it to end up with you having to take over because Asbeel had killed me! I thought that was obvious."

"Oh, right." The Hero didn't look nearly as upset at the idea.

"Now you're really hoping he'll lose, huh, Emi?" Maou commented.

"If it means Lucifer is out of my life forever, _and_ I get to beat up this MMA fighter of an angel, then..."

"H-Hey! Why're you talking so easily about me losing? I'm actually doing this for you, you know! Why do I still get no respect even when I'm actually trying to do something?"

" _SILENCE_ _!_ "

Everyone fell silent and looked to Raphael. A hint of his earlier wildness had re-entered his expression, and he glared at them with a murderous light in his eye.

"Everyone quit stalling and _shut. Up._ " he growled. "We have a fight to finish."

Asbeel and Lucifer gazed at each other across the rooftop. Asbeel was as stone-faced as ever, that strange look of sorrow deep in his eyes. Oddly enough, Lucifer seemed to mirror the same look, in an expression that could almost be called mournful. He tightened his fingers around the dagger handle.

Sensing there might be a need for space, Maou drifted backwards, signalling for the others to do the same. They floated in a ring around the two warriors, every breath tense.

"Oh, before we begin..." They all looked to Raphael again as he rummaged in his pockets for something. He withdrew a very strange-looking device, like a twisted piece of metal, except that it was engraved with intricate markings which glowed a light purplish color. It was unrecognizable to all, except one.

"Raphael, that's..." Sariel looked stricken. Fear trembled in his voice. "Are you insane? Where did you get that?"

"I volunteered to be his keeper many years ago," Raphael replied, looking very satisfied at the horror across Sariel's face. "Considering this is a warrior's challenge, I figured it was only fair if they were both unfettered."

Before Sariel could say anything, he tapped the device along one of Asbeel's giant wrists. Immediately the purplish glow spread and wrapped around the angel's arm, forming what looked like a manacle with a large chain. Attached at the other end was a gigantic stone.

Almost as soon as it had formed there came a sudden explosion, like a great rush of air being released, and the manacle split in two, falling from Asbeel's wrist. The stone fell to the concrete, cracking it with a tremor.

"You see, Asbeel is a prisoner in Heaven," Raphael explained to the rest of the onlookers. "These chains keep his power to an absolute minimum. Otherwise he might have destroyed Heaven and killed everyone in it. Well, he nearly did."

Raphael did the same with the other wrist, and again the rooftop shook with the second stone. All this time, Lucifer had not moved nor changed his expression, except to spread his wings.

A great sigh rose from Asbeel when the second stone fell. He flexed his fingers, cracking them, and for the first time seemed to rise to his full height. Tendrils of yellow energy were already beginning to rise from his fingers, and outline the rest of his body.

Blue eyes sharpened, and he clenched his fists.

Immediately there was a shockwave of energy so strong even Maou found himself struggling to remain in place. The rush of power grew and grew until they could hardly breathe with the force of it all, and a light was building around Asbeel center so bright they felt it through their eyelids. Then suddenly, it all went away.

They recovered one by one, blinking and gasping from the ordeal. Emilia was the first to look down...and promptly shouted in shock.

" _Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!_ "

The hospital building was gone.

Where there had once been walls, vehicles, or even rubble, now there was nothing, except a flat expanse of blackened land smoking like the base of a volcano. The parking lot, the trees, perhaps even the entire top layer of dirt...it had all disappeared as though vaporized.

Emilia swallowed and stared at Asbeel with a newfound respect that only great power could bring. Then she glanced at Lucifer, and felt her stomach twist. For the first time, there was a look of doubt on the shut-in angel's face. And for the first time, she found her feelings matching his.

If Lucifer fell, and she had to go up against _that..._

She wasn't certain she could win.

* * *

 _At the Devil's Castle..._

"Have you called him yet?"

"I'm trying! He won't answer!" Suzuno scowled as the ringtone went to voicemail for the fifth time. She growled and dialed again. "I know I'm not competent with electronics, but I thought that maybe at least _he_ would..."

She trailed off as she suddenly noticed a faint ringing coming from somewhere. She and Chiho looked at each other, then towards the closet. When they opened the door, they found nothing, but the ringing still came from beyond the wall. Realizing at the same time what that meant, they quickly dashed into the corridor and into Suzuno's apartment.

The ringing was louder the moment they stepped into the door. It didn't take them long to pinpoint the noise to upon the counter.

Suzuno's hold on her phone grew loose as she and Chiho stared blankly at the small black device resting innocently next to the sink, the screen of which flashed a rather familiar number.

"...He forgot his cell phone."

* * *

 **RN:** Mistyping Satan's name as 'Stan' and Alciel's name as 'Alice'...I had a good time with this chapter. On a side note, I think I found the inspiration for a new spinoff...Maybe a sitcom...

I went through the HARDEST SLUMP in the history of writing this summer...Even though it didn't last as long as others it felt like the hardest. I know I'm drawing things out and keeping things right on the brink again, but...that's how I intended it, so happy birthday.


	13. Demon

_Long ago, in Heaven_

 _"There was once an angel who was the strongest in Heaven. When the Great Demon Satan first appeared, it was he who battled the Demon King, and struck him down into the eternal abyss._

 _"This same angel then carried off a human woman. For many years he lay with her, and kept her on Ente Isla. This defied Heaven's laws, and after a fierce but brief battle, in which five brave warriors of Heaven lost their lives, the angel was imprisoned, his strength locked away for all eternity."_

Raphael snickered, then shut the book he held. "How disrespectful. They didn't even care to mention your name."

His gaze sought out the sole occupant of the darkened, cramped cell in front of him. Every now and then a faint cry would echo far above them, remnants of other prisoners long since forgotten and driven mad.

On either side, the hallways of the prison's lowest levels stretched endlessly, their walls filled with numbered doors. Although the interiors, with its tiled floors and whitewashed walls, seemed far more stately than one would assume for a prison, the lowest level was significantly dirtier and not as well lit as those many floors above it. Left to rot in neglect (for no one ever bothered to come down here) the doors had since rusted and the walls grown moldy. It mattered not. To the majority of those in Heaven, this place was empty.

In this hallway, despite the vast number of cells, only one prisoner resided. The target of Raphael's gaze sat in the furthest corner of his cell. In the dim light, Raphael could just make out a pair of heavy, doleful eyes staring back at him.

"You know, there are some who say you're dead. But I've heard you can't be killed." Raphael leaned close to the bars. "Are you really immortal?"

The prisoner had neither moved nor spoken since Raphael arrived. But his crystalline gaze had taken on a slight gleam.

"You've served your sentence long enough, Asbeel. Heaven is once again in need of your power." Raphael held up a key with a grin. "How would you care to be free?"

* * *

 _Present day_

A healthy breeze danced across the ground, picking up dirt and dust and sending it spinning merrily through the air. In this particular spot, the dust came from a large, rectangular area of completely bare ground. A tiny, weak cyclone swept along the perfectly flat expanse a few times before dissipating past the edge, which carried an oddly burnt look.

Above the dust, floating in the air, several figures of varying size and appearance observed the ground beneath them. Or rather, two of them observed, and the rest gaped in soundless shock.

They could all feel it. An aura of unimaginable power, pulsing from the giant angel. A cloak of yellow energy surrounded his outline, vibrating the air and making it hum. He radiated so much power they could almost believe he flew not from using his energy, but from the ground simply pushing back against his aura.

Then, as they watched, the halo of energy shrank, receded, until it seemed to have been all absorbed by Asbeel. The effect remained, however; Satan could feel a faint tremor in the air, making the hair on his arms stand up.

"Raphael," he called, hoping he imagined the scratchiness in his throat when he spoke. "At least allow me to put up a barrier. With how this fight is going to go, the land here won't take it."

Raphael shrugged. "Like I care what happens to this mudball."

"Do as he says, Raphael." Asbeel spoke barely above a murmur, but everyone heard him easily. "I will not risk the rest of this planet's inhabitants."

A beat passed, during which Raphael glared at Asbeel. Then he crossed his arms. "Fine."

As he said so, the golden light suspended all around them flickered, then faded. Satan felt the sickness in his stomach, which had been there ever since the barrier was put up, ease and fade with it.

The Demon King put his hands on his hips. "All right, everyone get back to the city."

"Are you insane? We're not leaving!" Emilia snapped.

"We don't have time to argue, Hero. This fight is going to get very messy very quick, and we need to be outside of the barrier when it happens. I'm going to give them as much space as I can, but just in case, you'll need to retreat."

Emilia, looked troubled, but she signaled the others to follow.

When Raphael seemed to go with her, she immediately halted and whipped around to face him. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"I like the idea of staying out of reach," Raphael said simply. "Besides, someone has to make sure you don't go off trying to find ways to help my little brother over there."

Alciel, meanwhile, lingered uncertainly.

"Maou-sama…you…"

"Get going, Alciel," Satan growled. "That's an order."

Alciel ground his fangs together. But he merely placed a hand over his breast. "Yes, Demon King." He flew after Emilia and Sariel.

Satan let out a breath, then snapped his fingers. A gray bubble expanded with him at the center, reaching as far as the highway. He tried to give them the most space possible without including any humans within its radius, and expanded the height to as high as he could, but it would still be something of a tight squeeze. As he had to remain within the bubble to maintain it, he risked being caught in the fight. But perhaps it was a good thing. If Lucifer was in trouble, then maybe he could help…

As if reading his thoughts, Lucifer suddenly said, "Demon King, I suggest you don't interfere. Any attempt at helping me will cause me to forfeit the match."

Satan's jaw worked. But he merely nodded and floated backwards. His speed allowed him to reach the end of the barrier in a matter of seconds, and though he couldn't use magic like Lucifer to enhance his vision, his sight was still ten times better than a human's, and even from this distance he would be able to keep track of what was going on.

Even if he couldn't do a thing about it…

Outside the barrier, two angels, a half-angel, and a demon alighted upon the rooftop of the nearest skyscraper. Sariel, Emilia, and Alciel grouped at opposite ends of the building from Raphael, who stood tall and dignified at the very edge. Upon landing his damaged wings retreated to disappear at his back, and he straightened his burnt clothes with a sigh.

"You should all really be thanking Lucifer, you know," he said. "Thanks to him, neither Asbeel nor I can touch you anymore. At least, not while the match is still going on."

"Why is that?" Emilia asked sharply.

"When the challenge is issued, the fighters become the only participants," Sariel explained. "They are forbidden to fight or bring harm to anyone else except their opponent. Of course, this extends to seconds as well."

"The laws of Heaven do not apply to my kind," Alciel said coldly. "What's to prevent me from ripping your throat out now?"

Raphael gave a thin smile. "The laws of Heaven apply to every angel, human, and _animal_ in Ente Isla," he replied. Alciel growled, his claws curling. "If I come to harm, Lucifer's claim is forfeit, and we gain the right to slaughter every opponent standing. And you _could_ fight back…but honestly, I doubt there would be anything left of this city if that were to happen."

"He's telling the truth, Alciel," Sariel said desperately when Alciel seemed to only get more riled up. "Half the city will be destroyed the moment Asbeel turns on us. And I don't care how much you want revenge, I will _not_ let you put my goddess in danger!"

His threat hardly fazed Alciel. But the Demon General let his spikes settle all the same, albeit reluctantly. "It matters not," he spat. "Lucifer is absolutely useless when it comes to doing a great number of things. But if there is one thing I do not doubt, it is that he is a skilled fighter. The match will be over in a matter of minutes."

Raphael's grin turned smug. "Oh, I agree, little scorpion," he replied. "It _will_ be over quickly. But Lucifer cannot hope to best Asbeel."

* * *

The clearing between Lucifer and Asbeel was silent now. They stood for the longest time, hair and feathers rustling in the wind. Both wore mirrored expressions of somberness, a strange regret staying their limbs.

Lucifer broke the silence with a sigh, sliding his hands into his pockets. "I'll be honest," he said quietly. "I don't want to do this."

Asbeel bowed his head. "Nor do I. But I decided my path long ago. I regret you were once again made a part of the consequences, but you made your choices, just as I made mine."

Lucifer snorted. "Screw that. You chose to follow Raphael and Heaven in trying to steal a child from her mother only weeks ago. Don't pin this on the way you were raised or some lame reason like that. We both know the truth, that after all those thousands of years, you're still Heaven's lapdog."

Asbeel's expression grew harder. "What I am is _loyal,_ " he said, a warning rumble in his words. "Which is more than I can say for you."

"You're a blind, stubborn oaf is what you are." Lucifer retorted. Asbeel's wings rose.

Lucifer suddenly cracked a grin. "Nice to see some things never change."

Asbeel blinked, surprised, and his feathers settled. "I wish to ask one thing before we begin," he said.

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead."

Asbeel's crystal blue eyes turned to the skyline, surveying the city with what seemed to be a measure of wistfulness. "I used to hear you speak of humans with such distaste, it bordered on hatred," he murmured. "Yet here I find you, almost a human yourself, living with humans as companions. Am I foolish to think you have accepted them at last?"

"Yes," Lucifer said immediately. But something made Asbeel, for the first time since he'd arrived in this world, laugh.

"I truly did love Abigail," Asbeel said, when he'd finished.

Lucifer nodded to the ground. "I know."

This seemed to satisfy Asbeel, who nodded. "Then let us begin."

No sooner did the words leave his mouth than Lucifer was upon him, spinning the angel's dagger deftly in his hand before sending it forward with blinding speed. It seemed impossible that he might miss a target as large as the one right before him, but just as the dagger seemed about to hit its mark, there was suddenly nothing but air.

A giant shadow blurred behind him, eyes glowing as it brought a fist forward...

Lucifer spun out of the way with all the grace of a dancer, Asbeel's fist missing him by a hair's breadth. That didn't stop him from being caught up in the shockwave that followed, and the petite angel crossed his arms in front of his face as he was blown backwards.

He flared his wings to slow himself, but already Asbeel was upon him yet again. With the power the larger angel wielded, the air seemed to warp around him. Lucifer could feel his core vibrating each time Asbeel drew close.

But thousands of years in the Demon World had not been lost on him. And though only Asbeel was there to see it, it would soon become clear there was a reason he had been made a Demon General.

Lucifer ducked until he was horizontal with the ground. As Asbeel passed over him, he struck with his palm upwards to his opponent's middle. There was a fierce crack from the blow, and the angel's impressive size was nevertheless sent hurtling into the air.

Asbeel growled and slowed himself, but had no time to breathe as a streak of purple magic engulfed him. When it ended, smoke rose from his skin as if it had been barbecued...yet it looked the same as before. Something moved to his left, and he raised his arm just in time for a hail of purple bullets to strike him across his head. Lucifer was keeping himself moving, ensuring that his attacks seemed unpredictable and coming from all directions at once.

Asbeel flexed his wings with a sigh. A dark and angry-looking bruise was already forming across his abdomen, but even after the last attack he had hardly flinched. It would take far more than that to bring him down. For the moment, he couldn't see his opponent. Lucifer had always been skilled at hiding his presence...but it was no matter. Asbeel raised his arms. He would simply have to draw him out.

A rain of yellow bullets scattered across the ground, explosions following seconds later. A huge cloud of dust surrounded him, and in the midst he heard some cursing. Immediately he descended upon the noise. Lucifer had just enough time to turn around before he was slammed into by the huge form.

Or so he thought. There was no impact, and as Lucifer's after-image faded away, Asbeel felt something slice across his arm. He looked down to see a thin line of red welling across his bicep, the blood trickling along the muscle.

Something buffeted the settling dust. Asbeel blocked a sudden kick to his head as easily as brushing away stray hair. Lucifer growled and spun in midair, trying to land a blow along his ribs. But it quickly became apparent that for how devastatingly accurate his hits were, even if they could connect, they would do nothing. So instead, he flew upwards. Asbeel was right behind him. Together, they took to the sky.

* * *

He had always been a remarkable fighter.

Seeing Lucifer, the Demon King was taken back to the days when his army was still growing in power, when his Generals were all four still alive. Sparring had always been their favorite past-time. Yet for all three centuries he had been alive, he had never seen anyone fight as fluidly as Lucifer did.

This only happened when Lucifer was truly serious about his fights. Even in the air, the lithe angel dodged and struck with breathtaking agility, each movement as precise and accurate as a surgeon with a scalpel. What's more, his experience had granted him use of his energy that, before Satan had met him, he had never seen any other demon do. No doubt Lucifer's speed was due to energy being surged into his wings to give him that extra boost. And his energy shots were as deadly as ever, each one capable of slicing through a building in seconds.

Only there was a problem. It wasn't enough.

Again and again, the two figures in the distance would come to blows, and again and again, it seemed as if Lucifer had not landed a single one, for Asbeel seemed to come away with hardly a scratch. But he must have done _some_ damage, for there was no mistaking the sound of flesh impacting flesh.

Maybe Asbeel simply was that strong.

Maou swallowed. He wanted to have faith...and he _still_ believed in his General, more than he ever had before...but things were not looking good.

The two figures darted from one place to the next, moving far too fast for any human to see. Even Satan felt hard-pressed to keep up. Somehow they were keeping themselves within the barrier limits. The gray bubble could not technically prevent them from leaving, only contain the damage. Yet even as they had sped through the sky, they never went further than the barrier's borders.

The fight went on. There was no telling how long the battle had lasted...had it only been a few minutes? Or had an hour passed? The sun, though still low, was already strong in the sky. And yet the sounds of fighting continued to resound.

Satan's gut clenched. He couldn't tell from this distance how Lucifer was holding up, but he knew from experience that by this point Lucifer's endurance would soon be reaching its limit. The two warring opponents had hardly stopped for rest nor talk; not to mention his General had already been exhausted and injured when they began. This had to end quickly, or else...

 _Crack._

He felt, rather than heard, the next impact. Another shockwave shook the area, and a cloud of debris billowed in the distance. Satan flinched when he felt tiny objects pelt his face; even from this distance the discharged earth had managed to reach him.

The sounds followed seconds after.

The Demon King's breath caught in his throat. Echoing across the damaged lands was a dreadful cry of agony, one that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. One of them had been severely injured.

His fangs ground together. That scream had come from Lucifer.

* * *

Footsteps fell heavily along the loose earth. The large prints left behind scattered in the wind circling around them like a cyclone beginning to form. They walked steadily until they came to a stop at the edge of a huge crater.

Wings ragged and disheveled, bruised and bleeding from numerous cuts, Asbeel only managed to look more terrifying in the sun-drenched dust cloud. His silhouette seemed borne of a desolate and tragic tale,in the morning after a war when the sun alights on the battlefield to reveal the countless bloodied and ravaged bodies and him, the last surviving soldier, standing over the scene.

He descended into the crater, to the gasping and broken form of his opponent.

Asbeel bent to pick up the dagger, which had fallen next to Lucifer, then closed his fist around his throat. The smaller angel didn't even protest as he was lifted by the chin into the air. Blood dripped down the side of his head, over his eye and swathing his neck in red. His left arm swung like a dead weight, clearly dislocated.

"If I could, I would leave you here," Asbeel said quietly. "You are beaten. That, I think, is clear. I would wish that you could be sent home, to recover."

His eyes closed solemnly. He raised the dagger to Lucifer's throat "But this is a fight to the death."

His fingers began to tighten around that slender neck. Lucifer gurgled, but didn't - couldn't - move.

Asbeel grimaced, and surprisingly, the arm holding him began to tremble. "I swore...I would never kill another angel," he said, his voice tight. "I never thought I would come to break my oath in this way."

A bubbling sound came from Lucifer's throat. Dark, red liquid welled at his lips and dribbled down his mouth, which inexplicably had been pulled back in a bloodstained, toothy smile. He was _laughing._

Asbeel bared his teeth. "Do you not _care?"_ he thundered, his voice echoing across the land. "Have you become so lost that you no longer even fear death?"

"Yoagh..." Asbeel loosened his grip slightly to allow Lucifer to talk. "You...of all should know...there's worse things than dying."

Lucifer's legs suddenly snapped up to wrap around Asbeel's arm, the one holding the dagger. His good hand wriggled up to grasp the edge of the knife and twist it in Asbeel's slackened grasp. The blade sliced along Asbeel's other wrist, and though he did not cry out, the shock of it made him open his hand, and Lucifer swung down, the dagger in his grip.

But Asbeel had already recovered. As the dagger struck for his throat, his hand came up between them and made to snatch Lucifer's arm in midair. A blinding light shone between them; Lucifer's eyes widened as the dagger was twisted around, the point aimed directly between his own eyes.

The sound of flesh being rent was as deafening as the explosions that had preceded it. Blood spurted against the dirt.

And yet, even with a fatal wound, he smiled.

* * *

Miles away, they could feel it. It wasn't a sense; they simply _knew._ It was over.

Emilia exchanged an uneasy look with Alciel.

Who had won, though, they couldn't tell.

* * *

Maou fell to his knees.

His form had begun to wane as time dragged on, and the rush of battle had left him. His energy, previously used to sustain his demon form, had been directed towards other things, conserving itself to start healing his body. Now he was half his size, his horns faded, though his legs were still goat-like. But when he saw the light flash, and felt their energies start to rapidly fade, it was like his energy had been sapped along with theirs. Soon his human form was left kneeling in the wind, no longer able to see as far for his human gaze. Around him, the barrier was breaking away, fading as his magic did.

"Lucifer..."

* * *

Lucifer swayed, then collapsed.

He hunched on his knees like a doll with its strings cut, head still tilted upwards, staring into the gaze of the great monster of Heaven.

"I shouldn't have been surprised," Asbeel murmured. "You came far, after all this time."

One trembling hand raised to cover the gaping, bleeding hole in his middle.

"You tricked me."

Lucifer snorted. He shook out his left hand, the magic that had delivered the killing blow already fading. He popped back his disjointed shoulder into place, wincing, then wiped away the blood dripping down his cheek from where the blade had grazed him.

"Demon," he answered simply.

Asbeel chuckled. His gaze grew soft. "The humans here believe Heaven is the afterlife, where souls reside for eternity. They believe that when you die, you return to the loved ones you lost."

"Morons, the lot of them."

"Even so...it is a pleasant thought." His voice grew quiet. "Do you suppose...I would be able to see her again?"

Lucifer was silent for a time. Then he shrugged. "Sure, I guess. If that's what you want to believe."

A long, deep sigh left Asbeel at that. His eyes closed contentedly.

Then, as if encouraged by the wind, his giant frame tilted backwards, and crashed to the ground.

Lucifer sighed. "Say hi to her for me, would you?"

* * *

They could see the figures in the crater as they drew close, all slowing their flight as they descended, except for Emilia. She rushed forth, calling the name of the one person still upright.

"Demon King!"

Maou looked up as they landed. He cradled Lucifer's head in his lap and held a hand against his chest. As she neared she could already see the glow of energy beneath his palm, transferring from the Demon King to his General.

"Demon King...is he..."

"He's not dead," Maou answered tightly. "He fell unconscious just as I got here. I'm doing all I can, but..."

His expression said it all. For some reason, nothing was working.

Raphael advanced slowly towards Asbeel's body, his expression unreadable. He seemed to give no notice of anything else.

"You've lost, Raphael." Sariel spoke from behind him. He pointed a finger dramatically at Raphael's back. "In accordance with Heaven's laws, concede your defeat! Acknowledge us as the victors!"

Raphael gave a cold glare over his shoulder, but said nothing.

"The loser must comply with all demands and requests given by the victor. Is that not what was said?" Alciel, the only one still in demon form, cracked open his claws menacingly. "Then stand still as I kill you."

"Wait, Alciel." Alciel halted at his master's command. Maou stood, setting Lucifer down as gently as he could. "I want something from him first."

Raphael merely slid his hands into his pockets. He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

At Maou's bidding, Alciel took his place at Lucifer's side. He began to feed green energy into the petite angel. But just like with Maou, Lucifer's condition didn't change; if anything, he seemed worse. His skin had started to turn a sickly yellow-grey color, and his breathing was so shallow it was almost unheard.

Maou pointed to Lucifer. "Why isn't he getting better?"

"It's because his body can't keep up," Raphael answered softly. "There's no longer any point."

The air turned cold. "What do you mean by that?"

A thin smile crossed Raphael's lips. "I thought it would be obvious. He's poisoned."

"We got rid of that," Maou spat.

"Not _my_ poison, fool. What's the word the humans use...oh, yes. _Radiation sickness._ "

Raphael's smile grew at the looks of shock spreading on the others' faces. "It's unhealthy to be near Asbeel for so long when his power is unleashed like that. Thanks to your barrier, Demon King, it was contained, but I doubt even you fully escaped the effects. You ought to be feeling weak now, yes?"

As if in response to what he was saying, Maou suddenly felt sick to his stomach. That explained why he had returned to his human form so quickly...He thought he had plenty of Demonic Energy in reserve, yet all of a sudden it had been sucked away...because it was repairing whatever damage was being caused. Even now...

"And dear Lucifer had a front-row seat to it all the entire time. I'm honestly surprised he stayed conscious this long. But however much energy you give him, however much he had left, it's all used up by now. Just to keep him alive for a few more precious minutes."

His smile dropped as he was suddenly jerked forward as Maou seized the front of his shirt. "You know how to fix him," Maou snarled. "I _know_ you do. Heal him, _now!_ "

"He'd honestly be better off put out of his misery. From what I'd hear, it'd save _you_ a lot of future headaches too."

His head snapped to the side as Maou's fist flew forward. Maou pulled him upright again. "Quit stalling. You're to comply to any demands, aren't you? _Heal him._ "

Raphael spat blood to the side. "My powers were contained with my staff, which unfortunately was _broken_ not too long ago." He sent a disgusted look towards Emilia. "You have your Hero to thank for that."

" _Stalling._ " Raphael's mouth closed at Maou's growl. "You sent a spy to our home. When we _caught_ it, Sariel told us it was one of your Miracle thingies, that can...What can they do again, Sariel?"

"They can heal any wound, no matter how fatal." Sariel answered immediately.

"There's no way you'd bring only one, not if you were going to make some pathetic attempt to spy on us," Maou continued. "You have another. _Use it."_

When Raphael didn't answer right away, Maou drew his fist back again. " _USE IT!_ " he roared. He smacked the angel in his grip again.

"Prove it," Raphael panted.

"What?"

"If you can prove I have another, I'll gladly do as you say," Raphael said savagely.

They stood in a stand-off, the air between them tense. Finally Emilia had had enough.

"We're wasting time," she snapped. "If you want proof, I'll give it to you."

A golden light fell from her head. She raised her arms just as it took the form of a small child, rubbing her eyes from sleep. Raphael stiffened at the sight of the Yesod fragment, so close to his grasp.

"Alas=Ramus," Emilia said gently, all the while keeping an eye on Raphael. "Sorry I woke you, but Mama just needs to ask you one question, okay?"

"Okay Mama..." Alas=Ramus slurred.

"Can you sense any fragments of Tiphereth around here?"

"Mm..." Alas=Ramus blinked sleepily around. Then she shook her head.

"No..."

Raphael gave a smug grin and smacked away Maou's hand. Maou sent him a murderous glare in return.

"Uum...wait!"

Everyone looked at Alas=Ramus, who seemed very, very confused. "Ummm...Tif-ret? Not Tif-ret...Uu, Mama, don't know..." She snuggled her face into Emilia's shoulder in discontent. "Funny feeling...Like Tif-ret? Don't know..."

Maou went to her and took her into his arms. "Funny feeling? Alas=Ramus, can you tell me where this funny feeling is coming from?"

Without hesitation, the child pointed to Raphael.

Sariel summoned his scythe at once and set the blade at Raphael's neck. Far from being intimidated, Raphael only laughed, and gingerly put a hand to his bruising cheek.

"Ousted by a child. Well, I suppose I can't argue with that." He withdrew something from his inner pocket. It was the same creature they had found before, only this one twitched and fluttered in Raphael's grasp.

"Is it true?" Sariel demanded. "Did you use fragments of Tiphareth in these...creations?"

"My dear Sariel..." Raphael pulled a wounded look. "That would be treason. But it is something very close. I guess you could say these contain attempts to make a copy of the Sephirot stone."

"Impossible," Sariel said immediately. "No one has ever successfully recreated a Sephirot, and even then, to do so is against Heaven's highest laws."

"True, it's imperfect..."Raphael gave Sariel a meaningful look. "But like I said, it is _very close._ "

Sariel looked stricken. "Did...Did you make them?"

"Do you think I would still be in Heaven if I did?"

"Then...who..."

"We can deal with this later." Maou cut between them. "You've got no more excuses, Raphael. Get to work."

Raphael's fingers closed around the Miracle Worker.

Then A thought seemed to occur to him, and he gave a sidelong glance at Asbeel. For a second he hesitated, then started to turn towards the giant form.

Don't even think about it, Maou was about to snarl, when something whistled through the air and landed with a _thunk._ Raphael froze, inches away from being impaled himself by the sword currently embedded in Asbeel's body.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, flesh around the blade began to disintegrate. Everything - his wings, his bones, his dull, blue eyes - turned gray and flaked apart, until there was nothing left but a pile of dust being blown into the wind.

Raphael stared in shock, but upon closer inspection of the sword, his brow furrowed in recognition. It was a simple broadsword, which despite how it gleamed looked very old, and had an odd inscription upon the blade.

"That's far enough, Raphael."

The voice that came from behind them was young, commanding, and in Emilia's case, familiar. She whipped around in shock to see Aito, the very same young boy she had rescued from the hospital only hours before.

Only now his hair was silver. And though he stood silhouetted in the morning sun, there was a reddish tint to his eyes.

"Michael..."

For the first time, Raphael sounded genuinely intimidated. Though it seemed absurd, he trembled before this youth, who looked no more than eight years old.

Far from the scared little child Emilia had found in the hospital basement, this boy held a proud, cold gaze. He stared regally at each and every one of the others, demon and angel alike, and with a motion of his hand the sword flew out of the ground and returned to his side.

 _Michael? As in, the first angel?_ Emilia couldn't believe it, until she saw Raphael's and Sariel's reactions. The latter looked as if he were about to positively faint.

"I've grown tired of watching your cowardly attempts to cheat your way out of every situation. Do as the demon says. _Now._ "

Raphael swallowed. Then to their amazement, he obediently and without hesitation walked to Lucifer's side. He pressed the Miracle Worker onto his chest, and it began to glow.

There was a strange sense to the light...For Maou and Emilia, if they had to put the feeling into words, they would say it was almost the same feeling they got when they were near Alas=Ramus.

When it faded, Lucifer seemed much the same - ragged and covered in blood - but his breathing had immediately become more regular, and some color had returned to his pallor.

"I've healed the damages caused by his exposure, and eliminated the toxins in his system," Raphael said monotonously. "Whatever is left will be up to him."

"What about Maou-sama?" Alciel demanded.

"He should be fine in a few day's time." This time the child - Michael - answered. "If a little sick."

His gaze snapped to Raphael, and suddenly several rings of pale-blue energy appeared around him, binding his arms, legs, and gagging his mouth. Raphael let out a muffled cry as he shot forward like a magnetized piece of scrap metal to Michael's side. With complete nonchalance Michael reached around and plucked the dagger hidden from within Raphael's sleeve. Another gesture and the second dagger flew from Lucifer to his hand as well.

"What are you doing with him?" Emilia asked. She had long since sent Alas=Ramus back to her incorporeal form, and glared warily at the angel in child form.

"I will be taking him back to Heaven, where he will answer for his crimes," Michael replied. "We've long since suspected Raphael was tampering with the Sephirot he was charged with, but I had no absolute proof until now."

"...So, you're not here for the Yesod Fragment?"

"" _Sariel!_ "" Sariel squeaked as several angry voices shouted at him. They all had the same reason; to them, at least, there was absolutely no sense in bringing up Alas=Ramus. Rather, they had every reason to be silent about it.

But Michael merely replied, "No. At least, not today."

"Why not?" Emilia asked, more out of curiosity than anything.

"Don't sound so surprised!" The Demon King was affronted. "You act like you _want_ them to take Alas=Ramus!"

"Because you're sick, I'll treat you nice and pretend I didn't hear that."

"Don't be condescending! I'm not bedridden!"

Michael watched this exchange with mild interest. "The Yesod Fragment belongs in Heaven," he said, "and one day we will reclaim it. But we will allow you to hold on to it a while longer. Think of it as a reward for aiding us in our little...problem."

"Screw you!" Emilia shot back. "We didn't do this for you or anybody else! And you can come after Alas=Ramus all you want! We'll be ready!"

Still in full battle armor and silver hair, her words sounded quite threatening. But Michael simply inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"Speaking of rewards, you will not have to worry about the humans from the hospital. I have taken the liberty of changing their memories and repairing any damage that might raise questions. They believe a radical terrorist group attempted to take control of the hospital, and ended up killing themselves when the set off the explosions."

"That's bound to raise plenty of questions..." Emilia muttered.

"How kind of you to do so!" Sariel seemed to have recovered from his initial horror, and stepped forward with his arms raised in gratitude. "We are indeed unworthy of such kindness from our dear...kind brother."

"Sariel! You look...quite..." Michael spoke as if noticing him for the first time. He was clearly taken aback by Sariel's appearance, but he retained his posture. "You look well," he finished.

"Ah! I do not deserve such praise, but I humbly accept nonetheless."

Then Emilia asked the question that had been bothering her from the minute Michael had arrived.

"Say, why do you look like a kid? You're the first angel, aren't you? Why haven't you grown up yet?"

" _Hero!_ Do not speak so rashly towards our eldest brother!"

Michael drew himself up. "I am the First Son. I must remain the example of all that is righteous and morally pure, for all who exist and all who are yet to come. A child is the symbol of innocence, of a time before corruption and sin."

"So, it's not because you never grew up?"

Michael pursed his lips. "Little niece...I am the oldest of the angels. Do not let my appearance deceive you."

Emilia just shrugged. Michael lifted his gaze to the rest of the group.

"I have a few words to say to my brother before I go, if you would rouse him."

"He's knocked out cold, I don't see how..."

"He's quite awake, I assure you," Michael interrupted Maou.

As one, they all turned to look at Lucifer, who remained motionless. Then he stirred.

"Damn, I was really hoping I wouldn't have to talk to him..." he grumbled as he pushed himself to a sitting position.

Alciel (who by this point had returned to his human form as well) helpfully chose to step in and explain to his confused king. "He regained consciousness not long after Raphael was finished with him, my liege. He was merely pretending to sleep, though I cannot fathom why."

Lucifer raised a hand. "Sup, Big Bro."

Michael surprised them further by bowing respectfully to Lucifer. "It has been too long since we last met."

"Too long since you stuck me in the chest, you mean." Michael seemed to smirk at that.

Lucifer tucked his wings away and shuffled around so that he faced Michael directly. "So, how long have you been here?"

"Long enough to get the confession I needed. I admit, I was surprised by your audacity, brother. I would have stepped in earlier, but you had already declared your challenge, and so I was forced to wait."

"Uh-huh. So what'dya wanna tell me?"

"Whether you meant to or not, you have done Heaven a great service. They have decided to grant you a pardon for your past misdeeds, and welcome you back to take your rightful place in Heaven." He extended a hand. "Come, join us once again, brother."

"Say, could you drop the act, already? It's starting to get a little creepy."

Michael raised his eyebrows innocently. "Whatever do you mean?"

"This whole 'nice brother, benevolent messenger' thing you're doing! There's no way you'd bow to me like that."

"While I am your eldest brother, you still retained the position of highest-ranked archangel, so I must act accordingly."

"Yeah, maybe so, but since when have you called me 'brother'? You swore never to do so ever again, not after what happened before."

"The past is the past, and I've decided to let -"

"I absolutely refuse to think you've forgiven me by now. You can hold the worst grudge I've ever seen throughout eternity. Admit it; you still hate me."

Michael merely gazed at him with the same sweet look. Then something twisted the smile on Michael's face into something very ugly; all of a sudden he seemed too grown to be a child.

"Be that as it may..." he said coolly, "the offer is from Heaven, and still stands. So. Will you come back with me, Lucifer?"

Lucifer didn't answer right away, as if he were seriously considering it. Maou recalled Olba had made him the exact same offer not too long ago. Lucifer had said he agreed because he didn't have any other choice, but now...?

He remembered the way he had smashed the computer mouse to bits only a few days before. When Alciel had been yelling at him about his past. That had come from something. Perhaps he really would -

"Nope. Not in a million years."

"...What?"

"You heard me." Lucifer stretched, yawning. "Even before I rebelled and you guys threw me out of there, I was thinking of leaving anyways. I was so bored, I was tempted to kill myself plenty of times. And you think I'd want to go back?"

He snorted. "Maybe once upon a time, I did. But I've found a new Heaven here. Earth is way more fun, and these guys-" he stuck his thumb over his shoulder, "-have given me more entertainment in a year than Heaven did in a millennia."

Michael's childlike face drew in anger. "We offer this to you freely, and you throw it back at our feet?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

Michael flared his wings. They were huge for his body, but they were an impressive display, making him seem several times larger. For a moment they thought he might fight...Then a Gate suddenly opened behind him.

"You will regret this decision." Raphael yelped as he was tossed inside the Gate with abandon. Before following him, Michael shot one more poisonous look at Lucifer.

"Just so you know, that pardon was entirely Heaven's idea. If I could have a say, I'd never let you in for the rest of eternity. In fact, I'd have had you hunted down and eliminated, and the rest of the demons with you."

"But you don't have a say, do you? Mama's boy." Lucifer grinned and stuck his tongue out impudently. Michael ground his teeth, but it failed to come off as threatening; even with his sword and his wings, in his child's form, he did look very much like a young boy pouting.

"Out of consideration for what you have done, I will offer you one last warning: Do not presume to think you are safe after this. There is still a threat that remains."

"We get it, you won't stop until you get the fragment, blah blah get out of here already." Emilia's form shifted to her regular red-haired appearance. She waved a dismissive hand.

Michael snorted. "I didn't say the threat was from us."

Without that ominous message, he stepped through the Gate. It vanished not a second later.

Silence followed the departure of the angels. Then Maou gave a frustrated yell, running his hands through his hair agitatedly. "Rrrrah! Are _all_ angels this stupidly dramatic?!"

"I take offense to that, Demon King!" Sariel spoke dramatically. "How dare you make such crude assumptions about our kind?"

"Aah, go home already, Sariel. Isn't there a goddess you're supposed to be pestering?"

Sariel gasped. "Curses! I'd nearly forgotten!" He scrambled out of the crater and took off running as quickly as his tubby form would allow. They heard him squeal in the distance. " _I'm coming my sweet loooooooooove!_ "

Maou sighed, then grunted as a wave of nausea hit his stomach. Ashiya caught him as he swayed. "Maou-sama! Are you all right?"

"Yeah...just feeling a little sick..."

"It's the energy exposure. You ought to get him back home." Emi stifled a yawn. "I think we all need a rest."

"Yeah...not to mention...there's something I gotta do."

There was a measure of reluctance in Maou's words. Emi frowned.

Maou suddenly stiffened. "Oh, crap, Suzuno and Chi-chan are still waiting for us."

"Ah, that's right...In that case, I'll go with you."

"We do not require your help, Hero."

"Excuse me? Who just helped save your butt from those angels just now? And out of the goodness of my heart, too!"

"Lucifer! Cease your dawdling and come help me with Maou-sama!"

"Ehh, I'm hurt too, you know! Why does he get all the attention?"

"Stop whining and hurry up!"

"Alciel, put me down...I think I'm gonna... _BLEARGH!_ "

 _"ARGH! Disgusting! You got some on my shoes!_ "

" _Maou-samaaaaaaaa!_ "

* * *

"Maou-san!"

Chiho was the first to greet them as soon as they walked through the door. Her relieved smile turned to concern as soon as she saw how Maou was being supported by Ashiya. Both she and Suzuno were stricken when they saw the state of the group, ragged and disheveled and (in Urushihara's case) covered in blood.

"Oh my god! What happened?"

"We tried to contact you, but you had forgotten your cellular device..."

"Maou-san! Is he okay?"

"I'm fine, Chi-chan, just a little sick..."

"Why is Lucifer covered in blood?"

"Oh, thanks for noticing, Bell..."

Emi stepped through the clamor of voices. "We won," she said with a smile.

Chiho and Suzuno both gave relieved sighs. "The angels?" Suzuno asked. "Are they gone?"

Emi hesitated. Michael's last warning was still nagging at her. But looking at the states of the demons, not to mention the exhausted appearances of Suzuno and Chiho - all of them had not slept a wink this past night, she realized - she just answered, "Yes, they're gone. For good."

Urushihara leaned tiredly in the doorway. "I think I'm gonna pass out in the closet now..."

"Do _not_ try to climb in the closet in your condition, Lucifer. Go straight to the bathroom and wash yourself off."

Urushihara cringed. "Ah, come on! I just saved everyone! Don't I get _some_ respect?"

"And _afterwards..._ I'll let you order whatever you want for lunch later."

Everyone stared. Ashiya seemed completely unfazed as he set down Maou by the table. Then, to everyone's shock and Urushihara's mortification, he swept up the smaller man in a bridal carry and made for the bathroom.

"WHAT the - Oi, Alciel, _what the hell do you think you're doing?_ Put me down! This is totally humiliating!"

"Quiet, Lucifer. This is merely to ensure that you do not get blood on the tatami mats."

"Do you have to carry me like THIS? In front of EVERYONE?"

The bathroom door closed, though Urushihara's protests continued. Only Maou seemed to find any humor in it. He sniggered as he made his way to the closet to find a shirt and pants to slip on.

"All right, Chiho, let's go gather your things. I'll walk you to your house."

"Eh?! Ah, well, um, i-i-s that really okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

"W-w-well...Ashiya-san said you were sick...and all..." Chiho was blushing heavily from Maou's sudden show of boldness.

"Perhaps I should walk her home," Emi said, her eyes narrowed suspiciously at the Demon King.

"Ah, um, I can always walk myself home..."

"It's all right. Let's go. Your parents are worried sick." He was already ushering her out the door.

They reached Chiho's house around noon, only because every now and then Maou was forced to stop and allow another wave of nausea to pass. Despite Chiho's anxious insistence to visit a doctor, he assured her it would be fine.

 _Besides..._ he thought, as he took in the stumble in her walk and deep circles under her eyes, caused by hours of sleepless stress and worry... _you're worse off than me, aren't you?_

They stopped outside her gate. "Chi-chan..." Maou said before they went in. "Listen...I want to thank you. You were a big help this whole time."

"Maou-san..."Chiho gave an embarrassed grin. The moment was lost somewhat in the big yawn she gave. "Ahaha...I really didn't do much."

"No, you did," Maou insisted. His voice grew sympathetic. "It can't have been easy for you."

Chiho's expression grew sad. "It was horrible..." she admitted. "Seeing Urushihara-san like that. I th-thought he was going to die the first night. And even though he and I aren't that close...I thought how terrible it might be if he were to..." She sniffed, brushing at the tears welling up at the memory. "I-I knew I had to be strong...because all of you were fighting, and I knew I had to do my part to help...But the whole time, I thought...what if it was Maou-san instead? I couldn't help but get scared that..."

She suddenly gasped and blushed, as if she'd let slip something she hadn't meant to say. "Th-That is, I was worried about all of you, of course, but..."

Maou nodded. "It's all right, Chi-chan." He looked distinctly somber, and Chiho was struck with a pang of guilt. She hadn't meant to make Maou feel bad about her thoughts...

"It'd probably be better if you were able to forget about it all."

Chiho shook her head. "I don't know if I will...eh?" She squeaked when Maou suddenly laid a hand on her head.

He gave her that big grin of his, like he always did.

Yet his gaze was sad...

"Sorry about this, Chi-chan."

"Maou-san...what are you...?"

His eyes started to glow. "Thanks for everything."

Chiho gasped as everything around her started to fade. She could feel something slipping away as her eyelids grew heavier, and drooped lower...

 _No..._ she thought before she blacked out. _I don't want to forget..._

* * *

 **RN:** Aaaaahhh, I had to end it here because this chapter was getting way too long. I even considered ending it a full part earlier...but I wanted to have this hanger as an ending. I actually didn't intend to have the comedy in this chapter at first, but I figured things were getting too serious, and I wanted to stay true to how the real light novels are anyways.

~To those of you who were worried I wasn't going to continue...I've said it before and I'll say it again. The only reason I wouldn't continue a story is if I'm dead. So however long it takes to continue, I WILL eventually get to it, and I will never give it up :)

~This is technically the last chapter, but there will be an epilogue, so stay tuned.

~I kind of want to do a test. Will people review more if I ask for it, or are they more likely to review if I keep quiet about it?


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